


The Teenage Kingpin

by Kneeshee



Series: Southside's Gems [2]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Fluff and Smut, AntiBughead, Consensual Underage Sex, F/M, Off-Screen Murder, Rape/Non-con Elements, Southside's Gems, Sweet Pea's Pod Squad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-02-13 05:47:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 12
Words: 40,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12977352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kneeshee/pseuds/Kneeshee
Summary: Emerald Wayne has always been the head of Southside High's Serpent's football cheerleading squad until she's not? Queue in the Northsiders trying to take her place and her (future) boyfriend?





	1. |prologue|

_"All things are possible with gemstones & mascara."_


	2. |one|

It happened near the end of the summer. Jason Blossom's death still fresh on everyone's mind and then the shocking news that Riverdale High would be closed for the semester.

Many people summarize a gas leak and honestly, it was quite the truth.

There was only one school left in the town for their children to go to and most parents considered letting their children sit out for the semester. But then the mayor signed her daughter up, then the sheriff, and eventually other parents fell in line.

If only they knew that Southside High was poisonous and the happy go-lucky picture that the Northside of Riverdale tried to paint would unravel quicker than any one season of their favorite television show.

\--

The first thing the Riverdale students would come to lean is that Southside High is thoroughly and evenly divided into two groups (read: gangs). The second thing is that they were now referred to as Northies.

Their first day there and they already had come to create their own gang.

As they were shown around the school by "a neutral party in this 1960s inspired gang war," their tour guide Candace let them know of the school dynamics.

1\. Never go anywhere alone

2\. The football team belongs to the Serpents

3\. The basketball team belongs to the Ghoulies

4\. There are two cheerleading teams. Serpent cheerleaders for football. Ghoulie cheerleaders for basketball.

At that point they had made it to the cafeteria, but Candace raised a hand for them to wait as a group of students appeared.

Candace took a step away from the other group and said just loud enough for them to hear yet quiet enough that the approaching group couldn't.

"That's the Teenage Kingpin of the Serpents," she muttered and all of them stared at them.

The tallest of the bunch had curly black hair combed to the side which made the display of the double head snake tattoo on his neck even more visible. He had his arm around a short dark-brown haired girl who's sense of fashion rivaled Cheryl and Veronica's despite being from the Southside. Her short leather high waisted leather skirt made her own snake tattoo that was wrapped around her thigh visible. She smirked up at him before turning to look at the other students behind them.

The other girl was a light brown hair beauty with pink highlights and undertones. She shared a smile with the first girl. Another boy shorter than the first yet clearly buffer muttered something that had their whole group laughing. An even smaller boy with his hair pushed back wearing a small smirk jokingly punched him in the arm.

"Oh my gosh, that's a limited-edition Hermès Epsom Leather satchel," Veronica Lodge muttered as she took notice of the purse the first girl was carrying. But her best friend Betty didn't hear her. Her eyes were drawn to the last figure wearing the beanie who stepped forward and wrapped his arm around the pink-haired girl. The two of them shared a smirk before their group moved on into the cafeteria.

"I feel like I just stepped into one of my dad's old biker gang movies," Kevin muttered from beside Betty and Veronica. Candace took a deep breath before turning back towards their group.

"Come on," she said cheerfully with a forced smile. "You need to claim a sitting area."

\--

When they walked into the cafeteria, all eyes turned towards them. Well not all eyes. No one in the sitting area in the back behind the gated area spared them a glance. The group with the teenage kingpin. They didn't know whether to be relieved or offended.

Candace pointed at three different spots that'd be good enough for them to claim their own, but rich girls Veronica and Cheryl didn't want any of them.

"We want that area," Cheryl stated gesturing in the direction of the Serpents with Veronica nodding alongside her. Candace paled before quickly shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, but that's the Southside Serpents table. You can't have it. Like at all," she muttered before another girl appeared right beside her. She was absolutely beautiful with long curl dark brown hair pulled into a ponytail. She was wearing a red and black cheerleading uniform with a leather jacket over it. On her thigh was a gorgeous tattooed snake and everyone immediately knew exactly what she represented, and they didn't need to see the back of her jacket to confirm it.

"Candace, darling," she purred, and her emerald painted lips caught all their attention. "You weren't in lab today and I was forced to do work with _Jazz Towers_."

She hissed the girl's name so strongly that she sounded almost exactly like that reptile on her thigh. Candace flinched a little.

"I'm sorry, Emerald. I was assigned to do the touring for the Northsiders," the girl replied shakingly waving a hand in their direction. Emerald didn't even spare them a glance as she rolled her eyes and giving a pointed look to Candace.

"It's alright," she stated patting the girl shoulder. "I have your notes. Just don't miss theatre. I refuse to pair up with Ariel Tremaine."

Candace nodded her head so strongly and fast that for a second Betty was worried it was going to fall off before Emerald flashed her a smile that was all teeth and she walked away. Everyone tensed a little at the sight of the serpent symbol on the back of her jacket as their eyes all followed her to the back of the cafeteria.

"Who is that," Reggie and Chuck mumbled appreciatively. Their eyes traced her body and watched how she slid into the seat at the table with the members of the Teenage Kingpin. A spark of fear shot through them that quickly disappeared as they fell into the abyss filled with her beauty.

"That's Emerald Wayne. Head Fearleader of the Serpents and A Member of Southside Gems. Don't cross her," Candace warned as her eyes also flickered to the Serpent section. "She's also the last member of the Kingpin as far as I know. I've only been here since last semester, so I don't know if there is anyone else."

Cheryl and Veronica hummed, "What's a fearleader?"

Candace scrunched her nose up before she blinked with realization, "Oh, it's a cheerleader, but since everyone around here fears the serpents and ghoulies; the cheerleaders are called fearleaders."

Candace led them over to one of the unoccupied spaces of the cafeteria and right as they sat down, a small boy rushed over with spray paint and a huge bulldog stencil.

There area had been claimed and at that exact moment was when the Serpents finally glanced at them. A whole half of the cafeteria eyes pinning them all in place before a blink and the moment was gone.

Veronica leaned forward in her seat a little as she looked over at the Serpents. "So, who's who in the 'kingpin'?"

Candace paused a little from handing out their schedules. She turned a little in her seat to glance at the occupants at the well-known Serpents table.

"Well first, you have the Serpent Princesses also known as Southside's Gems. Emerald Wayne, head of the cheerleading squad with a voice sweet as sugar that you wouldn't notice she was manipulating you until it was too late. Beside her, the girl with the pink highlights? That's Toni Topaz, head photographer of the school's newspaper. That camera of hers has every single detail of blackmail material to last a lifetime and she keeps memory sticks on her at all times. And lastly, Sapphire Stone, the Sapphire Stone. Descendant of one of the founding families of Riverdale and heiress to Stone Enterprises. I heard she's the trainee for the newbie serpents and they're all like really loyal to her. The boys standing guard around the table and the entrance? That's Sapphire's Den. She also has a thing for throwing people into tables so don't tick her off..."

"And the boys," Cheryl purred as she leaned over the table. Candace glanced at her before she looked back at the kingpin.

"They're the Serpent Princes. You have Jughead Jones; he's the one with beanie. His dad is the actual leader of the serpent's' gang. He's the head journalist and editor of the Red and Black. He and Toni are together and just like his girlfriend he always has blackmail material on someone. The boy with the tattoo on his neck. His name is Sweet Pea and please do not let the name fool you. There is nothing sweet about him. He's an insufferable jerk and huge flirt. Well he's cut down the flirting since he started dating Sapphire, but fair warning, do not flirt with her. He has a pair of brass knuckles on him and switchblade and no matter how many times they get confiscated he always has another pair the next class period. He's sitting by Sapphire's adopted brother Joaquin DeSantos. Out of all of them, he's the resident bad boy with his whole mysterious vibe. I've literally never seen him in a fight but, so many people are afraid of him only the ghoulies ever try to pick fights with him and its not even many of them that try to. And lastly, you have Fangs Forgarty. He's the captain of the wresting squad who speaks with fists more than his brain. There is some major sexual tension between him and Emerald, but no one ever speaks about it because you'll never get a straight answer..."

Candace took a deep breath before finished handing out the schedules, "And if that isn't bad enough, they all are basically the smartest kids in our graduating class. Hell, probably the school."

\--

Emerald listened to her friends joke around at the table as she ate some of the food that one of Sapphire's den members placed in front of her. Her eyes were glued to her phone studying the online notes her calculus teacher posted. She had a test next period and she needed to be prepared.

Except her phone was no longer in her hand but instead in Fangs' who was like the rest of her friends were looking at her in amusement.

"Pup, give me back my phone," she whined as she reached across the table for it, but he just held it further out of reach laughing with their rest of their group. "I need to study!"

Sapphire rolled her eyes and snorted, "Isn't this the same test you've been studying the past two weeks for? Something's wrong if you fail with your photographic memory and everything."

Emerald pouted a little, "But what if I missed something? What if I overlooked it and I end up failing and having to get a job working as hooker?"

All of them stared at her before Jughead scoffed, "First off, this one test wouldn't affect you that much. Secondly, we wouldn't let you fail. Third, my dad wouldn't let you fail let alone become a hooker."

Sapphire nodded her head stealing fries off Sweet Pea's plate, "And even if you end up failing, I'll just hire you as my personal assistant, so you wouldn't end up as a hooker."

"I thought I was going to be your personal assistant," Toni teased, and Sapphire smirked at her. "No, you're going to be that one pap I like and give interviews to."

Emerald stuck her nose in the air, "That's nice and all, but Pup if you don't give me back my phone; I swear you'll have to find your own snacks to eat in psych."

Fangs' jaw dropped before he handed her phone back over, but before she could grab it, Joaquin snatched it out of his hand and started taking selfies. Emerald glared at the boy, but he paid her no mind as he ran a hand through his hair.

Sapphire snorted, "You'd think because I have more hair that I'd take longer in the bathroom. Nope, it's my bro."

"You're just jealous because your hair can't look this good," Joaquin stated before turning to look at the female regular students standing outside of the section's gate. He threw them a wink and smiled smugly at their swoons.

"Manwhore," Toni and Saph muttered before snickering at each other. Sweet Pea only laughed and snatched the phone from Joaquin and handed it over to Emerald. He moved to turn his head towards the group of girls, but Sapphire casually stated, "Throw them a wink and watch me throw you out."

The boy looked at his girl before tightening his arm around her and kissing her temple. "No need to be jealous, babe."

She scoffed, "You wish I was jealous." She passed a sheet of paper over to Jughead and then again to Fangs. Both boys wrote something down before the paper was placed in front of Emerald.

"If y = xx + 1, then y' =" was written in Jughead's chicken scratch and "

If f(x) = x5 + 5 x4 - 40 x2 - 80 x - 48, which is true about the graph of f?" was written in Fangs' small print.

"Answer whatever those questions are," Sapphire stated waving a fry in the papers direction.

Emerald looked at the paper again and mentally worked out Jughead's question before writing, "xx (x ln(x) + x + 1)" onto the paper and then moved onto Fangs' question. She looked over it and thought back to her notes before writing down, "it has 1 point of inflection" onto the paper also.

She hadn't noticed when the rest of her friends stood up. Joaquin snatched the paper up looked over it and nodded. "They're right," he stated slipping his hands into his jacket pockets and he passed the paper to Sapphire who passed it to Sweet Pea without bothering to look. He looked at the paper and nodded his head in agreement with Joaquin.

"Come on, Wayne," Sweet Pea started. "You got this. Calm down."

Emerald sighed as she also stood up from her seat with help from Fangs. She tightened her ponytail grabbing her backpack that Fangs had brought for her. "Yeah, you guys are right. You all know how I get about tests."

Toni laughed slightly, "Oh, we know. Honestly, the small tests are the ones you freak out about, yet the major tests are the ones where you binge watch shows while we freak out."

Emerald smirked because it was true. She went crazy and hysterical about small test yet the major test she couldn't even bother with the energy. She's always so sure that she'd pass the major test and she does.

"I have a question though," Fangs piped in. Sapphire shot him a look, "I swear if this is you asking if _fangstastic_ will ever work then I'm telling you right now **no** and to **stop**."

Fangs shot her a glare, "It will. You're just jealous, Saph No Phire."

The rest of them snorted, "You're a dork, dude," Sweet Pea stated as Sapphire stuck her tongue out at Fangs.

"But no really, my real question was what are we going to do about the Northies?"

All of them froze near the entrance of their section before flickering their gazes over to where the Northies sat. Sapphire snarled when she saw the way some of the girls were staring at Sweet Pea. He chuckled tightening his hold on her before placing another kiss on her temple and mumbled something in her ear. Toni rose her brow at the blonde that was staring at Jughead and the redhead girl that was staring at her. _Interesting_. She casually lifted her camera and took a picture of them staring at her and her friends before shoving Joaquin and breaking his staring contest with the dark-haired boy sitting beside the blonde. Joaquin shot her glare before nodding knowingly. Only the Serpents knew his sexuality and absolutely no one wanted Sapphire to lose her shit if anyone found out and gave Joaquin a hard time about it. Hell, no one wanted Joaquin to kick anyone's ass if they tried to give him a hard time.

Jughead barely spared them a glance but he did nod in one of the boy's direction. Emerald noticed it was the boy that was in some of Jughead's childhood pictures all grown up. He was kind of cute for a Northsider.

 _"Fuck me, those Northerners are hot_ ," Emerald stated without thinking. She heard Fangs' chuckle on her right before he stated, "Tell me about it. Just look at those girls."

Emerald felt a scowl drop onto her face, "They aren't that cute." She's lying. Those girls are totally beautiful and she's so not jealous.

"Stop it, Em. Your green face is showing," Toni and Sapphire recited as the boys chuckled. Emerald rolled her eyes blushing a little.

"We'll figure something out," Jughead said as they kept moving out of their section and soon out of the cafeteria drawing eyes as they walked out.

Fangs' dropped an arm around her shoulder before he leaned in to whisper, "It doesn't matter how cute they are. You're the only girl for me, Emmy."

Emerald will deny the fact that her heart fluttered. 


	3. |two|

Emerald was heading towards the gym for cheerleader practice when one of the Northies appeared in front of her. She blinked and let her face drop into a scowl. She rose a brow waiting for them to speak.

She hoped for their sake that they’ll hurry up and speak. Sapphire and Toni have a weird sense and just know when people come to bother her.

She could also guarantee it was something about the cheer squad.

The blonde girl gave her a friendly smile and Emerald started counting to twenty to see how fast her gem sisters made there.

“Hi, I’m Betty Cooper. These are my friends Veronica Lodge and Cheryl Blossom.”

_Ah, other two richest girls in Riverdale. Sapphire said she’d punch both if they tried to throw their money around in her territory._

“Emerald Wayne,” she stated casually sensing Toni and Sapphire walking up if the feeling of barely contained rage was anything to go by. Honestly, being the youngest of the Kingpin had negative effects. All of them came out the woodworks whenever someone comes up to her.

Betty continued to smile unaware of the danger she and her friends were in. Emerald listened as the clack of Sapphire’s heels continued down the hall slowly but surely making its way to them.

“We’re wondering when are cheerleading tryouts and if we could tryout,” the blonde continued. Emerald’s eyes flickered right behind the trio taking note of her gem sisters standing there.

She turned back to the blonde and gave her a small frown, “Sorry, doll, but to get on the football’s squad; you have to be a Serpent. But you can try the ghoulies. I’m sure they’ll love to have you.”

Sapphire cleared her throat and the trio turned towards her.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t little Sapphire Stone, I used to wonder when I’d see you again,” Cheryl stated as she stood before the snake girl. Sapphire laughed humorlessly at Cheryl’s words.

“That’s sweet, Cheryl. I haven’t wondered about you at all,” she smirked. Her voice though small and soft and childlike held complete confidence as she looked the taller girl in the eye. “Buuut I’m pretty sure your name isn’t Emerald Wayne so if you’ll _kindly_ move so that she can get to practice.”

Cheryl opened her mouth to say something, but Sapphire’s features dropped into a glare, “That wasn’t a request.”

Toni laughed a little before motioning for Emerald. The girl in questioned rolled her eyes before stepping around the trio. She turned back to Betty, “Seriously, ask the ghoulies if you want to be on a squad. Joining the serpents will be much more challenging than trying to get on my squad.”

Then the three gems continued down the hallways. One to drop Toni off at the Red and Black and then Emerald at the gym. Sapphire had serpent trainee duties to attend to.

\--

It didn’t take long for the Northsiders to realize that Sapphire Stone was the same Sapphire that used to follow the Blossom twins everywhere back in elementary school. Her own family was rich for their mining company that like the Blossom’s maple syrup business was founded in Riverdale.

Back in elementary school, Sapphire did everything Cheryl and Jason asked of her without little complaint until one day she just vanished from the school. No one knows what happened to the family, but whatever happened led to Sapphire being raised on the Southside and becoming a part of the iconic gang, Southside Serpents, that was as old as Riverdale itself.

Emerald and the others were alright with the whispers following them around and how everyone stared at them in awe and fear. But by the time lunch rolled around on the Northsiders’ fourth day there, Sapphire had had enough, and she swore the next girl that strolled up to Sweet Pea and ran a hand down his chest was leaving with that same hand barely hanging on.

“Calm down, Saph,” Joaquin chided. “I don’t know who’s worse. You or Pea with how hard you’re glaring at whoever flirts with the other.”

The couple both shrugged at his words with Sapphire absently playing with the charm bracelet on her wrist. “Sometimes you just gotta stop them while they’re ahead,” Sweet Pea stated.

Jughead glanced up from his phone with a frown. “My dad just texted me. He said some northsiders ask to join the serpents.”

Emerald felt her blood run cold.

“What,” she hissed out. Her eyes flickered over to the Northies side of the cafeteria. She had a feeling she knew exactly who asked to join.

“Who are they,” Toni questioned placing a hand on her shoulder.  Jughead narrowed his eyes at her in suspicion before turning to his girlfriend. “I don’t know. He didn’t say. But we should know at the meeting at the meeting tomorrow night.”

“Brilliant,” Emerald growled out.

\--

Walking down the hallway, Emerald felt her heart beating hard against her chest. Something was going on that she knew she wouldn't like not one bit. Scowling darkly to the crowd blocking her way, Emerald walked through the path they made to get to her locker. She saw a sight she was not ready to ever witness.

Fangs was standing by her locker while the Veronica girl was putting her books in Emerald’s locker. The girl even went as far as putting Emerald’s belongings on the top shelf. Emerald was too short for the top shelf. Biting back a growl, she stormed over to her locker.

"Excuse me. What are you doing with my locker?" The girl and Fangs jumped about a foot in the air. They both turned to her.

"Hey, Emmy. This is Veronica. There weren't any more lockers available, so the principal said that she could share with you."

Emerald mentally cursed the principal in all the foreign languages she knew. He had the nerve to volunteer her locker to this thing. There are plenty of lockers on the other side of school. She was going to write a strongly word letter to the principal and the school board.

"Well, that's great." Emerald took her time assessing the girl. She was taller than her, so Emerald had to look up at her.

"Fangs was just telling me about you. He said you had some of the highest marks at the school."

"He wasn't lying. Not trying to brag, but I'm one of the smartest girls here. Which reminds me, I need my AP Chemistry book?" Emerald casually looked into the locker before she slowly gazed up. Her chemistry book was on the highest shelf, and was the book at the very top. Emerald struggled to reach the book even though she knew she was six inches too short.

"Here let me get that for you." A manicured hand passed Emerald's vision before it came back down with Emerald's science book. With a forced smile, Emerald expressed her gratitude before walked off. The smile wiped completely off her face.

 _Who does she think she is changing my locker around? Have some sympathy for the short people. Everyone does not rock 6" heels. Some of us are very comfortable in our converse, combat boots, and Vans_.

When Emerald was right outside of her chemistry class, she took a deep breath to calm down. She walked right in, and sat by the window with the wall plug under it. Pulling out her cellphone and iPad, Emerald plugged them both up before looking at the board. Emerald sighed deeply when she realized this was just like last year. She had to prove yet again despite her small frame and age; she was more than qualified to be in this class. Little by little, the class began trickling in. Emerald seen some of her old classmates from last year. They all smiled brightly at her before going to sit in various seats around the room.

When the teacher finally walked in, there were only four seats left. There were two seats right in front of Emerald, and there was a seat right beside her and one in the back. The last three students walked in, and Emerald had to bite back a growl and a smile. Fangs was in her class alongside Veronica, Chase Briefs, and Jazz Towers. Fangs was headed to the seat beside her until Veronica sat down directly in front of her. Fangs sent Emerald an apologetic smile before sitting in the seat beside Veronica. Chase slid in the seat beside Emerald, but she was too busy glaring daggers at the girl in front of her.

"Good morning class, my name is Mr. Mouse. Go ahead and laugh." The class broke out laughing. Emerald couldn't blame them. Mr. Mouse looked exactly like a mouse. He had beady little eyes, with a pointed nose, and two huge front teeth. When the class quiet down enough, the teacher continued.

"As you can see, I'm your new AP Chemistry teacher. Today, we're only going to start with introductions. Turn to your table partner, and get to know them. They will be your lab partner for the remainder of the year." Emerald froze. She didn't even care that she was partners with Chase. She more pissed that Veronica was Fangs’ partner. Emerald glared darkly at the black-haired girl in front of her.

"You know all of the other students are staring at you." Emerald shifted her glare to Chase. He raises both hands, and back away a little. Running a hand through her hair, Emerald calmed down. She looked around, and sure enough her old classmates were looking her way. They all glared darkly at Veronica before sending Emerald worried glances. She gave them a small smile before turning towards Chase.

"Do we really have to do this? We know each other already. You're a pain in the ass while I'm the flame that lit your tampon, pretty boy." Chase’s cool boy exterior fell, and he glared at her.

"I think that's the other way around, Delphi."

"I told you to never call me that." Emerald was a second from clawing his eyes. She hated Chase. He was a nuisance. She hated having classes with him. Though she hated to admit it, Chase was not only smart but attractive. Chase had jet black hair, and sea green eyes. He kind of reminded her of one of her favorite book characters, but she couldn't recall which one exactly.

"You told me not to, but I never said I would listen." He smiled cheekily at her. She rolled her eyes before pulling out her special notebook. Chase’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

"You still write. I used to love reading your stories last year." Chase was in her creative writing class. Emerald was the number one writer in that class. Her stories were vivid, and a lot of kids could relate. What they didn't know was Emerald was writing her life story in some chapters. Her favorite story that she ever wrote was _The First Failure_. It was about a girl that brought home good grades and did almost everything she needed to do, but her parents thought her younger brother was perfect. The younger brother struggled in school, but he was perfect in their eyes because he did EVERYTHING he was supposed to do. That book hit way too close to home. Ignoring how Chase was reading over her shoulder, Emerald continued to write the remaining of a chapter. The girl in the book (Asle Winters) had just received a scolding from her father.

For the rest of the class period, Emerald had to deal with Fangs and Veronica giggling like preschoolers in front of her, and Chase invading her personal space. When the bell rang, Emerald grabbed her stuff and sprinted towards next class.

By the end of the day, Emerald had mentally murdered Veronica over six times. First, she rearranges her locker, and then she takes Fangs as Emerald's partner. In third period, the girl announced how she was the head cheerleader back at her old school. In calculus, the girl talked the full class period about her best friends Betty and Cheryl. The thing that really got Emerald was when the girl asked Fangs for a ride home. Fangs gave no one, but the serpents, a ride in his car. When Veronica asked, Emerald almost felt smug about how Fangs would reject her. Until he agreed which left Emerald stranded at school. She had a forty-five-minute walk back home, in the cold, wearing nothing but a thin sweater.

If Emerald didn't already dislike Veronica before, she absolutely loathes the girl now. Starting her walk home, Emerald thought about the amount of homework she had been given. If she had a ride home, Emerald could have started on it and finished around seven. Now she would probably finish around ten because she knows she wouldn't be able to concentrate completely.

Plugging in her earphones, Emerald made a stop at the cafe shop two blocks from her house. Walking in, she spotted her favorite barista, Dee, serving tables. Emerald walked over to the bar counter, and waited for her order to be taken.

"Hey Emerald, how are you?" Dee exclaimed when she spotted her. Dee was older than Emerald by two years. She was a senior in high school.

"I'm alright." Emerald scanned the menu looking for something to order. In the end, she decided on her usual.

"What can I get you?" _Can I get a jackhammer and Veronica’s dead body on the side?_

"A coffee. I want it black as my soul this time. Can I get a cinnamon roll on the side?" Dee chuckled lightly before going to get Emerald's order. She couldn't help, but realized how frustrated the younger girl seemed. Her shoulders were tensed, and she looked like she was freezing. Dee glanced outside to see if she could spot Fangs’ car. She seen nothing which meant Emerald walked here by herself. Dee returned with Emerald's order, and collected the money from her. Emerald shivered when her cold hands touched the warm drink. She could feel herself defrosting like ice melting in the sun.

"Where's Fangs?" Glaring into her cup, Emerald cursed Dee for being so observant.

"I have no idea. He's probably kissing up to one of the new girls."

"What do you mean?"

"A girl name Veronica Lodge from the Northside. Fangs has been following her around like a lost puppy. He's only known her for a day, and he's already kissing her ass." The old lady next to her glared at Emerald for her foul language. Emerald rolled her eyes at the old woman. The old lady gasped before she flipped Emerald off and cursed her out. _Rude_.

_She's lucky, I don't push her down. Life Alert wouldn't able to save her then._

Dee's eyes widen. She didn't reprimand Emerald for her behavior. Someone was making a move on Fangs? No wonder Emerald didn't seem to like her. The two of them had been dancing around each other longer than Sweet Pea and Sapphire. _Poor Emerald_. Dee reached out and places a hand on Emerald's shoulders.

"Are you okay?" Emerald rolled her eyes at the girl. Dee was such a drama queen. She's acting as if Fangs ripped her heart out.

"I'm fine. I need to get home though." Standing up, Emerald grabbed her coffee and cinnamon roll before turning to leave.

"Emerald, don't hurt the poor girl." Dee looked Emerald in her eyes which were creepy. Dee's eyes were a darker brown. Her eyes looked black compared to Emerald's eyes.

"No promises." Rolling her eyes, Emerald left out the cafe. Dee made it seem as if Emerald was a violent person. _You stabbed a person and bang someone's head into a bookshelf now everyone thinks you have anger problems. Idiots, I tell you._

Rushing back home to get out the cold, Emerald checked her phone for any messages. She half expected Fangs to send her apology message, but the only messages she had were from her gem sisters asking where was she was and why she didn’t ride to the Kingpin. When Emerald finally made it near her house, she glared at Fangs’ car. She walked into her own house before storming up to her room. She let out of scream of surprise when she noticed Fangs lying across her bed.

"What are you doing in here?" She screamed at him. _How the hell did he even get in here?_ She looked around her room when she noticed that balcony doors were opened.

"I should have you arrested for breaking and entering." Fangs rolled his eyes, but smiled widely at her. He looked at her with his brown eyes wide with a mask of innocence like a puppy. She scoffed at him before retreating into her closet. She changed out of her clothes before grabbing some sweat pants and large t-shirt.

"I came here to see what's wrong with you." Fangs looked up at her as she emerged from the closet. He couldn't deny his feelings for her. Her curly black hair swung around like drapes. He watched how tensed she was before she pulled her hair back.

She shivered involuntarily. Rubbing her arm, she turned back to Fangs. She ran a hand through her ponytail before she just really looked at him. She watched as he drank in her appearance.

"What's wrong with you? You seemed so mad at school, and when you just walked in." He tilted his head, and looked her in the eyes. She felt vulnerable as he gazed at her. It was like he was pulling her secrets out from her. She wiped her face clean of emotion. She looked at him with defiant gaze. She was stubborn, and that was her strong hold.

He knew she was trying to keep him from knowing what was wrong with her. He knew her well enough to know when she's lying and when she's keeping something from him. He also knew she was still in love with him, but he wasn't ready to deal with that yet.

"Back to school nerves, I guess." It was somewhat the truth. She was nervous about starting school again.

"I ask why you were mad. I didn't ask why you were anxious." She narrowed her eyes at him. She hated how well he knew her.

"I got some girl stuff going on. It's nothing." She shook her head at him before pulling out her homework. She looked over the syllabus for her writing class, and started plotting down various ideas. It was clear she done talking about the situation. Fangs stood up before walking over to her. He wrapped his arms around, and buried his face into her hair.

"I hope what's really wrong with you pass soon. I don't like seeing you glare at the world."

_How could I be mad at him when he did things like this? He makes everything so hard to do._

"Why didn't you give me a ride home Fangs? It was so cold walking home." She felt him stiffen behind her. He knew he forgot to do something important. He felt so guilty. He always gave Emerald rides home. He loved hearing her corny jokes, the new books she's working on, and rants about everything.

"I'm sorry Emmy. I forgot." He didn't want to admit that he had fun with Veronica today. The conversation flowed out of them. The ride was full of laughter. He didn't want to tell Emerald, but he promised Veronica a ride again.

"It's okay. You were just being nice to Veronica since she's new." She knew he was hiding something from him. _He probably was going to start giving her more rides._

"Don't worry, about picking me up or dropping me off tomorrow. I'll call Nathan." Nathan was a baby serpent and eh was a member of Sapphire’s den. He was extremely overprotective of her. He's a junior just like her, but he doesn't take advanced classes.

Fangs scowled out Emerald's window. He never liked Nathan. He thought Nathan was in love with Emerald. Emerald; however, found it hilarious. She claimed that Nathan only saw her as a sister that he could pick on.

"Yeah, whatever." He pulled away from Emerald, and walked to her window. He glanced at her as he watched her turn around. Her brown eyes held sadness. He didn't like seeing her feel badly, but he would never like her around other guys.

"See you around, Emerald." He jumped off her balcony onto the tree beside her house. He climbed down, and went home. He didn't look back once.

Emerald moved over to the window, and watched him walk away. When he was gone from sight, she closed her balcony doors before going to the bathroom. She showered, changed, and pulled her hair back tighter before going back to her desk. Grabbing her special notebook, Emerald began writing another chapter.


	4. |three|

If there was one thing Veronica understood, it was that the people in this school worshiped the ground Emerald Wayne and the other Kingpin members walked on. Personally, Veronica didn't see anything special about the girl. She was incredibly plain and her unrequited love for Fangs was hilarious. What Veronica didn't understand was why Emerald didn't like her? She barely been at school a week, and Emerald seems to want to kill her. She gets glared at in every class she shares with Emerald also. It was as if Emerald was the queen of this school while everyone else was her peasants. Though, the basketball team and the basketball fearsquad were the only ones that didn't worship the kingpin as much as everyone else.

Veronica didn't like how everyone just gives them so much attention. Veronica understood popularity. She knew that the jocks were supposed to rule the school while the nerds were at the bottom of the totem pole. But this school was split in half by gangs and any regular social dynamic was just thrown out the window. This school was completely different. And it was just worse with how Betty and Cheryl went to the Head of the Serpents. The Serpent King and asked if they could join. Now they had to be prepared for their initiation to start. She didn’t even know what to expect, but Veronica wanted to know everything, and she had the perfect idea on how to find out.

"I need to get something from my locker. You guys go ahead without me." Without waiting for an answer, Veronica sprinted down the hallway.

Her mind thought back to the rules that Candace told them on their first day.

_Never go anywhere alone._

She passed one of the boys from the Kingpin. She couldn’t remember his name though she could tell he was someone that she'll have to watch out for. Veronica shook her head. She was thinking nonsense. All she needed was Emerald's notebook. She ran faster and almost passed the locker before she stops.

She fumbled with the lock before opening the locker fully. All of Emerald's belongings were at the top. _Maybe I should be a little more considerate. She is kind of short_. Looking through, Veronica moved everything out her way until she found it. It was a small black notebook with heart shaped snakes across it. _Emerald sure does have weird taste_. She slips the notebook into her bag before she ran back to the cafeteria.

When she got there, she slid into the seat beside Archie who was also just making it. He gave her a small smile before joining the conversation about trying out for the football. Apparently, the football coach is nicer and will let none Serpents on the team. She looked around the cafeteria before her eyes stop at the figures in the back. The Kingpin had dozens of people vying for their attention, but one girl was too busy glaring daggers at Veronica to pay attention.

When Veronica caught her eye, her glare only got deeper. The boy from the hallway slid into the seat beside the girl. He gave the people surrounding them one look and they all scrambled away. He whispered something in her ear, and Veronica caught the look of surprised anger cross the girl's face. The girl's glare on Veronica turned murderous. The boy moved to whisper something else into the girl's ear. She pushed the boy off the seat allowing Veronica to breathe.

"Candace, what's that guy name that's sitting beside Emerald again?" Veronica saw Candace stiffen beside her. She turned to look at her, but she was glancing over at the other table.

"That's Sweet Pea. He’s Sapphire’s boyfriend. Please don’t flirt with him. Sapphire is not forgiving to anyone that try to take her belongings and she’s prone to violence."

The tension in the air rose. She turned around in her seat slowly to see Emerald and Sweet Pea glaring at her. The whole Kingpin was glaring at her. Even Fangs. It wasn't long before the tension in the room rose greatly. People began to glare at Veronica and the rest of the Northsiders.

  _It seems as if no one was going to glare at their princes and princesses._

Candace paled, and the fear was obvious in her face, “What did you all do? What did you do to them?”

Emerald smirked darkly at Veronica before she rose out her seat. The Kingpin stood beside her. Their peasants looked up at them in awe while others continued to glare at them. Emerald moved away from the table first and strutted out of the cafeteria with the Kingpin following her. She just walked out, and they strolled beside her.

Though, the idea of her strutting seemed better to Veronica.

\--

You know that feeling you have when you want to rip someone's head off. That's how Emerald felt at the moment. She wanted to rip Veronica's limbs off piece by piece. Who did that wanna be Marisol Nichols think she was stealing from Emerald? No one touched Emerald's Serpent notebook. _No one._

Everything was fine when Emerald was in the cafeteria. She was surrounded by the Kingpin and the other Serpents. She was listening to Joaquin quiz his sister for her pop quiz in accounting. They all asked her questions and Sapphire answered as many as she could. Sweet Pea had come to sit beside her. He got the people that were getting too close for Emerald's liking away.

He told Emerald what Veronica had done. She didn't want to believe it. Veronica in Emerald's opinion may have been a lot of things, but she wasn't a thief. She thought he was joking. She even dismissed the idea when he whispered to her to start a cat-fight in the cafeteria.

Now Emerald was going crazy looking for her notebook. A feeling of complete rage began to form in her body. Emerald knew anger. She understood it, and she relished in it. Emerald understood that she had a limit, but sometimes that limit didn't matter. Slamming her locker, Emerald headed in the direction she last seen Veronica going in.

It didn't take long for her to reach the Red and Black. She vaguely remembered Toni saying that they were had spots opened and were holding a meeting for new members. She also remembered Jughead saying that the blonde girl, Betty, had been hounding them down for days to see if she could try to join.

It was a shock that Jughead is opening the Red and Black to non-serpents, but it makes sense seeing as he’s been trying to focus on Southside Segments. He was going to need a few more hands around the school’s newspaper.

 When she got there, she noticed Sweet Pea was standing outside of the doors as if he was waiting on her with Sapphire and Joaquin. When they caught sight of her, they all straightened up and headed for her.

"Emerald, don't do whatever you're planning to do," Joaquin stated at the same time Sapphire stated, “Are you kicking ass? Do you need back up?”

 Ignoring them, Emerald pushed pass them. She kicked opened the doors to see Toni and Jughead standing in front of the small room. She did a quick scan before they landed on Veronica standing near the back. She had been looking at Betty in the crowd before her head whipped around to the door. She walked briskly in her direction before she glared up hard at Veronica. Another reason Emerald disliked being shorter than everyone: she looked as intimidating as kitten to a lion.

"Give it back." Veronica looked at Emerald with a confused expression. She almost didn't realize what Emerald was talking about until she remembered the notebook. She kept her confuse look though. Emerald had a lot of influence, and stealing her stuff didn't seem like it was going to give Veronica high praises.

Sapphire walked calmly to her gem sister side and glared the other girl. Her hands were already slipping into her pockets where she kept Sweet Pea’s spare brass knuckles.

"What are you talking about?" _How dare she lie? I know she has it_. The silence in the room was deafening, until the only sound was Toni moving in their direction.

Emerald's expression began to turn murderous. She began to feel light headed, and she knew she needed to let some of her anger out. Veronica gave Emerald a small smirk, and that was enough for Emerald to blow it.

"YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. GIVE IT BACK, YOU FAKE-" A hand clamped around Emerald's waist and over her mouth. She was pulled back into a relatively fine chest, but she couldn't focus on that now. _Okay, maybe she could. It was a rather nice chest._

"Calm down." Fangs’ voice hissed in her ear. His gripped tighten on her when she jumped in his arms. Seeing as she wasn't going to get out of his hold, Emerald began to relax in Fangs’ arms. She needed to calm down, so she wouldn't kill that imbecile. A small giggle was heard, and Emerald's head snap up. Narrowing her eyes, Emerald snarled at Veronica.

"Listen here, _bitch_ , this is my school. You're already treading on thin ground. Return my notebook by the end of this week or I will show you how easy it is to make you the most hated girl around." Pushing out Fangs’ hold, Emerald glared at the Northsiders before she turned to walk out of the room.

“Let’s wrap this up and you all can come back tomorrow,” was the last thing she heard before the door swung shut behind her.

\--

Fangs picked the lock to Emerald's balcony. She seriously needs to invest in more doors. He always did this when he wanted to know something. He did it to irritate her in some cases. Apparently, Emerald believes sneaking into her room on a cold Friday night in a grim reaper costume is bad. _Focus_. Fangs was coming to get her for the meeting.

Fangs moved to sit on her bed. He ran a hand over his face as he remembers the look of pure fury in Emerald's eyes. The last time Emerald looked like that didn't end well for anyone, especially not Candace. Fangs mentally flinched. Candace and Emerald were inseparable. You never saw one without the other. Fangs remembered everything that happen during the week those two split. The girls seemed to start hating each other. Emerald could barely walk past Kristen without looking like she wanted to kill her. Then Emerald complete her initiation, and Candace broke into pieces. Things were better between the two girls now.

"Shouldn't you be on the Northside comforting your little thieving girlfriend?"

Fangs looked up, and seen Emerald standing in her doorway glaring at him. What scared Fangs the most was the fury in Emerald's eyes. It wasn't as intense as before, but it was still there.

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Yeah, okay. What’s up? Why are you here?” A fire sparked in Emerald's eyes. Fangs had to swallow back the lump of fear growing in his throat. Emerald was scary. Her hands balled into fist, and she clenched her jaw. _Was she going to attack me?_

"I'm coming to take you the meeting, Emmy.” He slowly stood up. Emerald's eyes didn't leave him. _She honestly_ _looks like she wants to kill me._

She nodded her head slowly, “Okay, give me a second to get changed. Also, tell Veronica to return my belongings, or I'll have her organs returned to her family in a box."

It took a few minutes, but soon Emerald walked back into her room wearing an emerald green lace bralette and high waist black skinny legs. She pulled her hair out of her ponytail and let her curls hang wild. She grabbed her Serpents jacket and slipped on the emerald necklace that Sapphire got her for her birthday.

She put on some of her signature lipstick before turning towards Fangs who was flipping through her text books.

“Let’s go, Pup,” she stated getting his attention. He looked up at her and took in her appearance. Nodding his head, he followed her out of her room. They rode to the Whyte Worm in silence and their demeanors changed. Fangs was no longer her Pup that made cringe worthy puns and she no longer his Emmy that kept her head deep into her class notes.

No, now they were Serpent Royalty. Serpent Prince Fangs and Serpent Princess Emerald. Two members of the Kingpin.

The air turned colder around them. Darker as they settled in to who they truly were.

Once Fangs’ park the car outside, both stepped out and time seemed to stop. Her eyes were cold and expressionless as they flickered over the people straying outside before she and Fangs started walking towards the doors.

All eyes were on them and the two relished in the power they had. The fear and awe that came forth with their titles.

Fangs’ held the door open for her and she gave him a thankful nod before walking in. She felt his presence behind her as they made their way to the stage where the rest of the Kingpin were. She took her spot beside Toni and Sapphire as Fangs went to stand with the boys.

A minute passed for everyone outside to enter before the call to attention went off.

Emerald half-listened as FP talked about everything that been happening with the Serpents and the upcoming plans. They all sat quietly on stage as reports were given on what was going on with the gang and their costumers before FP got to the part that the Kingpin was interested in.

“As you all know, the Kingpin here go to Southside High. You also are aware of the Northside children now attending the school. With that being said, the Serpents own the football team and cheer squad at Southside. Now, they have a rule in place where only Serpents can join the cheer squad and that seems to be the reason why three Northside girls have come forth and asked to join the Serpents.”

Emerald and Sapphire sat up slightly with narrowed eyes. They both had a feeling they knew exactly who were asking to join.

“The girls are Betty Cooper. Daughter of the previous Serpent Princess Alice Cooper.”

Screams of outrage and objections flew out left to right. None of them could ever forget how Alice turns her backs on the Serpents and dehumanizing them at every turn in that newspaper of hers. FP rose hand to silence the noise and Emerald noticed Sapphire snarling. It wasn’t a secret to anyone that FP and Alice used to be thing before she left him for the prissy clean pussy of a Northsider. 

Emerald wondered if Betty knew of her mother’s past. She hoped the girl didn’t think that if she joined the Serpents that she’d be able to not only get on the squad but to also claim a place in the Kingpin. Because it just wasn’t happening.

Serpents may be on the only ones to get on her squad, but they still had to try out and the conditioning she gave her girls were a bitch to complete. And she would know since she does them alongside the squad. _In unity there is a strength_ and all of that even if all she would want to do is sit in the bleachers while all of them conditioned.

But also, Alice’s actions against the Serpents. Hell, against FP counted as betrayal. More so her actions to the Serpents is what has her thrown out and her membership stripped. Her title denounced. Her actions against FP would leave Sapphire ripping either her or her daughter to shreds if they ever decided to join the Serpents and make it to the gauntlet.

Emerald looked over at her Gem sister and noticed the glint in her eyes. She looked to Toni and saw that she noticed it also. Oh, boy, if Betty did go through with her initiation then she can very well count on a Saph Prank that she throws in on people she doesn’t want to see make it.

_(It’s kind of the reason why Jazz Towers didn’t make it into the Serpents and why Jazz loves to pick a bone with each of the Gems and risk her life by flirting with Sweet Pea.)_

“Quiet. The next girl that wishes to join is Veronica Lodge.”

Emerald barely manage to hold herself back from objecting, but she couldn’t stop the fierce scowl that made its way to her features. If that thieving little rich bitch think she was going to get into the Serpents, then she had another thing coming.

“And the last girl is Cheryl Blossom.”

Dead silence took over the Serpents. Everyone knew what happened to the last Blossom that tangled with the Serpents. He ended up dead. Did they really want to risk another one?

But then Sapphire’s voice rang out, “When does their initiation start?”

All eyes turned to her and everyone felt chills run down their spine at the coldness in her eyes. Some of them even took a step back as they realized they were no longer dealing with Sapphire, but her other self.

Phire.

FP gave her a look before he went, “Tonight.”

Slow devious smirks danced across her and Sapphire’s face before Saph went, “Perfect.”

Let’s see if these Northsiders could handle it, especially whatever Sapphire was cooking up in her mind.

_After all, a serpent never shows cowardice._


	5. |four|

Emerald and the other girls stood before Betty in her bedroom. The blonde was fast asleep and each of them rolled their eyes. Sapphire physically shivered at how fake the room seemed. _Fuck, she hated the Northside._

Toni was the one to kick the bed post and wake the girl up. Emerald quickly covered the girls mouth to keep her from screaming aloud.

Though they couldn’t see it, they all could guarantee that Toni was smirking behind her mask.

“What the hell,” the blond asked, and Sapphire stepped forward, “Your initiation begins now. With assuming guardianship of the beast.”

Sapphire let Hotdog go and the dog jumped into Betty’s bed as the Gems disappeared out of her bedroom and out of her house.

\--

The next day at school Emerald and her friends walked through the doors. The other Serpents’ turned to look at them and Emerald felt a shiver roll down her spine. Something was happening. Something that needed the Kingpin’s attention.

Emerald felt the change. The darkness that had been pulling at her every since she completed initiation. The darkness that she usually has good control over. It exploded and engulfed her. Wrapped around her like silk blanket and she couldn’t see. She couldn’t feel.

The air turned colder around them, and the other Serpents flinched and avoided eye contact. Emerald breathed in and relished in the power that they held.

The power. It was wonderful. It was glorious.

_It was fucking suffocating._

Nathan from Sapphire’s den rushed over to her boldly making eye contact. He was one of the few that could do so. Sapphire’s elite members that didn’t let her title as the Serpent Princess get to them. The ones that had her upmost respect.

“Nathan,” Sapphire inquired. “What is it?”

This time Nathan avoided eye contact and Emerald felt herself tensing. Something was wrong. Something was seriously wrong.

“I-I can show you,” Nathan stuttered a little. He waited for Sapphire to give him the go ahead and then they all followed.

Whatever had happened was horrible. Emerald could feel the darkness in her pushing her down further. She could see the other Serpents feeding off their energy. Their presence was strong and powerful that it was impossible to contain.

The only sounds were people heavy breathing and the sounds of Sapphire’s heel clicking against the floor. Emerald noticed some of the regular students rushing into classrooms and teachers hurrying to lock the door behind them.

And then the smell hit her.

Emerald’s eyes widen as she took in the damage. It was Sapphire’s locker. The words QUEEN WHORE was dripping down in something that look suspiciously like blood.

At the floor in front of the locker was small tank and inside was a snake on fire and surrounding it was bloody sapphire diamonds.

The air turned icy. Tension sparked as Sapphire stared coldly at her locker. She didn’t say anything and that was so much worse.

Nathan cleared his throat lightly, “That’s not all. Its like that for Toni’s locker too…”

A beat passed before one of the boys from Sapphire’s den and quickly pulled a regular male student in the path of her fist. The sickening crack from the breaking of his nose rang loud in the quiet hallway.

Sapphire took a deep breath to try to reign herself in, but it looked like she just couldn’t.  She spoke through gritted teeth, “Clean it up. All of it. And find out who did this.”

She quickly walked back out the school and the people in the hallway pressed themselves against the lockers as she stormed away. Emerald could see that even from a distance Sapphire’s shoulders shaking.

Sweet Pea and Joaquin turned to follow her when an inhuman screech of rage made its way down the hall alongside someone’s scream of fear. The kingpin shared a look before they were rushing towards the front of the school only to see Sapphire tumbling across the floor with Reece Jackson. She wore one of Sweet Pea’s spare brass knuckles around her fists as she punched the boy right in the nose.

All of them took a step back and didn’t interfere. Reece might not be a serpent, but it was a rule that no one interfered with a fight. The fight dragged on as Reece kept trying to restrain Sapphire, but his spilling blood made it hard for him to keep a grip.

It wasn’t until one of the Northside boys started to break up the fight did the rest of them move into action. Sweet Pea reached forward to grab Sapphire and they stood in a loose circle around her and blocking her from view.

Joaquin walked up to her with hands raised, but each of them could realize that Sapphire didn’t really see them at that moment. Everything about her scream danger and all of Emerald’s self-preservation instincts told her to get the hell out of the way.

“You fucking slut,” she heard Reece scream. “You fucking serpent slut. I’ll fucking kill you for- “

By the time they blinked, Sapphire had somehow managed to slip pass them as tackled the boy once more. Another high pitch scream escaped him as she pounded her fist into his face again and again and again.

“Do”

Punch.

“Not”

Punch.

“Call”

Punch.

“Me”

Punch.

“That”

Punch.

Jughead was the one to grab her this time and didn’t let her go as he tighten his arms around her and carried her out of the building despite her struggling. The air was suffocating, and Emerald knew that they wouldn’t be attending school today.

Not with Sapphire on a rampage and the need for them to be around once she calmed down and helped her with the aftercare.

Emerald followed them out but not before she heard the familiar sound of Sweet Pea’s rings connecting with someone’s face. She turned around to see him turn Reece’s face to his own and tell him something. It was no doubt a threat especially with the way Reece paled in fear. Sweet Pea stood to his full height making sure to glare darkly at the boy and the people in the hallway before he made his way to the door following the rest of them out.

\--

When the Northsiders had first walked into the school, they felt something evil in the air. Candace had met up with outside the doors, but the second she recognized what ever was giving off that presence she booked it to the gym door to go hide.

Of course, if the Northsiders were any ounce of intelligent they would realize that they should’ve followed her, but instead they carried on inside. And they were not prepared for the sight they saw.

Every person that bore the Serpent emblem were standing incredibly still. Their eyes were focus down the corridor and they look as if they were waiting for something. Waiting for orders like warriors.

They all strained to see what had their attention. What made everyone not even glance in the direction of the Serpents until the sound of clicking heels caught their attention. An even darker presence. One eviler. Darker with the all the intent of murder.  With each click of the heels, they all felt their heart stopping until Sapphire came into sight.

She looked furious. Hell, she looked like a leather clad goddess off to war. Her hair swung in ringlets own her back and her serpents jacket covered the black bandeau she was wearing. Her serpent tattoo mocked them and even though they couldn’t see the full thing, Archie swore the snake head was hissing at her.

And then a blond boy stepped in her path and time seemed to freeze. The air was so suffocating that they couldn’t feel like they couldn’t breathe. They couldn’t hear. They could barely see.

But the boy said something to her and the scream of outrage that left her mouth? It sounded more like a battle cry as she lunged forward, and her fist connected to his face. She had moved so fast that they could barely see the glint of metal around her fingers as the two went down and the boy let out a high pitch screech.

They stared with wide eyes as the two rolled around the ground and looked even more shock as the other members of the Kingpin made their way to the scene. And they just stood there. They didn’t do anything until Archie couldn’t resist and pulled her away.

He had barely the girl in his arms before her boyfriend was grabbing ahold of her and the kingpin was surrounding her, and random serpents were surrounding them.

“You fucking slut,” the boy on the ground scream holding onto his bleeding nose and carefully touching his busted lips. “You fucking serpent slut. I’ll fucking kill you for- “

They barely blinked before Sapphire managed to get past the two groups blocking her. Her fist once again tore into the boys’ face and that’s when they really looked at her.  Her whole expression was blank, but it was her eyes that did it for them.

They looked so empty. Soulless.

A glance at the other members of the Kingpin got them to see that it wasn’t even new to them. Especially since they too looked like they were one wrong word before falling into the dark abyss of death and rage with her.

Betty’s heart fluttered a little as the boy with the beanie reached out and grabbed her. His biceps flexed as he picked her up and tightened his grip around her. He walked right out the doors without sparing them a glance even as Sapphire started struggling a deep spark of pure fury appearing in her eyes.

They stepped out of the way as her legs kicked out, but they all turned around to watch the rest of the Kingpin leave. The boy that Sapphire had been fighting with slowly picked himself off the ground. Sapphire’s boyfriend.

 _“Sweet Pea,”_ Cheryl thought. He turned his gaze towards the blond boy and that’s when they got a glimpse of his eyes. With each blink, they turned colder and colder and colder. He calmly walked over to him straightening the rings on his fingers as he went before his fist shot out and the boys’ head snapped to the side.

_“If you ever call my girl a slut again, I’ll snap your head off your body and mount it up in the Whyte Worm.”_

He stood up to his full height casting glare at the boy and all those in the hallway making eye contact with everyone and no one. And then he strolled out with the rest of the confidently and in control. Regal. Like the Serpent Prince he was.

 

\--

 

It was an accident.

From the morning until now, Emerald had been having a good day. The school went back to how it was before the Northsiders stepped a foot into the building. Of course, they still attended the school, but no one acknowledge their presence. They were just there. They were kind of like the third wheeler to hundreds of students.

The accident Emerald was involved in began started in chemistry class. Mr. Mouse told the class that it was a free reign that day. In other words, they could do whatever they wanted if they follow their guidelines and didn't risk the safety of themselves and others. Looking back on it, this way Mr. Mouse's fault.

Chase and Emerald's project brought out the mad scientist in them. They looked through books for the best way to make a smoke bomb.  _Remember people, do not try this at school or home_. Their project started off well. Emerald was pouring ten grams of chemical A into test tube C to mix with ten grams of chemical B. It wasn't until Fangs came and distracted her did things get messy.

In all honesty, Fangs didn't really distract her. They held a small conversation while Emerald's focus was completely on task. Veronica is the real reason they're in this predicament. She 'accidentally' nudged Chase who in turn bumped the table which shoved into Emerald who spilt the chemicals onto Veronica's clothes. Chase, who was staring with wide eyes like everyone else in the room, rushed to the back to get the shower started. Veronica had tears streaming down her face because the chemicals burned.  _Well if you wore your lab coat like you're supposed to; it wouldn't be touching your skin._

Emerald stood to the side glaring daggers at Veronica. _She steals her notebook and her best friend now she ruins her class project. Did she want her life ruined?_ Veronica decided that it was Emerald's fault that she turned into a real-life Bunsen burner _._ She turns around and started waving her hands in Emerald's direction. She forced herself to trip over her bag that was beside her and wastes her chemicals across Emerald's clothes. 

Emerald channeled her inner Sapphire and picked Veronica up before throwing her into the shower. Then she proceeded to try and drown the girl in the middle of class. Her attempted murder was not an accident. Emerald did that one on purpose. Everything else was an accident.

Now here they were sitting in the principal's office with Emerald handcuffed to a chair. Her glares switched between Veronica and the principal.

"Can you girls please explain to me what happened?" Principal Crenshaw asked exasperatedly. The three of them have been in here for the past three periods. They only have gotten as far as handcuffing Emerald to a chair as she threatened to rip out Veronica's throat with a safety pin.

"She threw chemicals on me!" Veronica cried out. Emerald struggled against the chair as she bared her teeth out at Veronica. Veronica moved as quickly as she could with the bandages on her body.

"You're a dam liar, Veronica Lodge. It was an accident because you bumped into Fangs who bumped into my work table which caused me to waste the chemicals. YOU wasted your chemicals on me on purpose and once I get out of these cursed handcuffs I'm going to end your fucking life." The principal sat shock as he heard the language that Emerald was using.

"Like Candace threaten when you first joined the serpents?" Veronica shot at her. Emerald and the principal froze in their seats. Emerald's glare turned completely dark and sinister. She roughly yanked her arms against the chair until the wood broke. The principal shot up and restrained Emerald as best as he could.

"DON’T YOU EVER BRING THAT UP. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED." Emerald began to yell obscenities out at Veronica in multiple languages. She struggled against the principal's grip kicking her feet out in every direction while trying to reach Veronica. The principal used to his head to gesture towards the door. Veronica scrambled out the room not before Emerald could kick her in the head.

"I FUCKING HATE YOU, VERONICA. I'LL TEACH YOU A LESSON ABOUT SNOOPING IN THE WRONG PLACES."

Emerald's voice carried out into the hallway where the rest of the student body was residing. Veronica stumbled into the middle of the hallway. Glares were thrown her way while confusing glances were sent towards the office. Archie and Betty pushed people out of his way to get to Veronica. She looked scared to her roots as he led her out of the school as quickly as they could. The dark and evil presence of the Serpents flooded the air and they were all but running to get away.

"What happened in there?" Archie asked her as they got in Cheryl’s car and the girl quickly started the car.

"I don't know. One minute we were yelling at each other than the next minute she's being handcuff to a chair. The yelling started again, and she said she was going to kill me. Then I mentioned her and Candace old friendship then she broke the chair and the principal restrained her. And I booked it out of there."

Cheryl drove off and not a moment too soon. Emerald's yells of outrage could be heard coming down the school’s entrance. Seconds later, the presence of the Serpents spilled out into the open air.

"VERONICA, BRING YOUR ASS BACK HERE SO I CAN FUCKING KILL YOU." Emerald growled out as she made her way forward. Cheryl had just made it tore out the parking when a loud shrill scream sounded from behind them. The doors to the back of the gym flew open. Emerald stormed out them with fire dancing in her eyes. She held a broken metal bar in her hands as she sprinted after them.

—

"Emmy, calm down." Fangs repeated for the thirtieth time in the past hour. He felt hopeless and he sat back and watched her trash her bedroom. There was broken glass everywhere from the windows, mirrors, and picture frames she broke.

"Calm down? That bitch went on a joyride after what she said about Candace,” she snarled fiercely. Fangs glanced towards the other to see if they were going to try to calm her down but all of them except Sapphire decided to keep a wide berth. They didn’t even enter the room. Sapphire sat on Emerald’s bed calmly drinking a glass of wine as Emerald rampaged.

Fangs sighed before he gently grabbed Emerald’s wrist, "Emmy, I know you’re pissed off. But will trashing your room really make you feel better? Let's go down to the kitchen and get you something to eat.”

Sapphire smiled behind her wine glass, “Fangs is right, Em. Go eat something and calm down. I’ll clean up in here.”

Emerald looked at Sapphire who shooing her away before nodding and letting Fangs lead her out of her room.

Sapphire slowly looked around the room. Glass and ripped clothing were sprawled across the floor. She whistled lowly in appreciation. At least Emerald has better control of her black outs.

\--

Later that night, Emerald and the other girls stood before Cheryl in her bedroom. The ginger was fast asleep. Sapphire cast a glance around the room behind her mask. She took in everything and nodded her head approvingly. Cheryl may be a bitch, but the girl always had good taste.

Emerald was the one to kick the bed post this time and wake the girl up. Toni quickly covered the Cheryl’s mouth to keep her from screaming aloud.

Though they couldn’t see it, they all could guarantee that Sapphire was smirking behind her mask. She had to be laughing also if her shaking shoulders were anything to go by.

“What the hell,” the Cheryl asked, and Emerald stepped forward, “Your initiation begins now. With assuming guardianship of the beast.”

Sapphire let Hotdog go and the dog jumped into Cheryl’s bed as the Gems disappeared out of her bedroom and out of her house.


	6. |five|

The next day during lunch Emerald and the other kingpin members walked in to a dead silent cafeteria. They didn’t notice exactly what had everyone so quiet until Sweet Pea and Sapphire were both snarling as they stormed to the back of cafeteria towards their section.

Emerald jumped little Because she wasn’t expecting it, but she was also not expecting the first she saw was Sapphire throwing her fist out and Joaquin barely making it in time to stop her.

Because sitting in their section. At their table. As if they owned it. As if they had any right there was Cheryl, Betty, and Veronica.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing,” Emerald snapped before she had time to think. “This is the serpent section.”

The three northsiders sat up straighter and the tension in the air crackled like lighting especially when Emerald caught sight of her notebook sticking out of Veronica’s bag. She was moving before she aware of it her hand easily ripping her book from the bag and swinging the notebook at the girl’s face. It was only because of Fangs’ suddenly grabbing her wrist did it not connect.

“You can’t sit here. Its Serpent territory. And this is the Kingpin table,” Jughead question. His head tilted to the side a little bit, and Emerald immediately took notice of how Betty stared at him with heart eyes.

Cheryl sat forward with a small smirk on her face as her eyes raked up and down Sweet Pea and Toni’s bodies. She felt the anger pooling from Sapphire.

“We just thought that since we’re becoming Serpents that we should be able to sit here,” the ginger stated, and Emerald couldn’t stop the scoff from leaving her mouth.

“Becoming serpents. Which means you aren’t a serpent at the moment which also means get the hell out,” she snapped. Sapphire snapped her fingers and three members from her den came forth and picked the girl’s up before carrying them to outside of the Serpent gate and closing it behind them.

Emerald watched as Sapphire pulled wipes out her bag before scrubbing down the seats muttering, “Fucking Northside germs.”

Once she was finished, all of them sat down. Sweet Pea immediately pulled his girlfriend into his side muttering quietly into her ear.

“Didn’t you have something to tell us, sis,” Joaquin asked trying to distract the girl. Sapphire perked up before looking at each of them. “Yeah, I decided to host a back to school pool party at the manor. Everyone’s invited. Except the ghoulies. I don’t trust them to not steal anything.”

“I’m in,” Sweet Pea stated immediately, and Toni echoed the statement.

“Same,” Emerald shrugged and Jughead nodded his head along. Fangs smiled and nodded. Sapphire leaned her head onto Sweet Peas shoulder and breathed heavily out of her nose.

“Ugh, I’m going to have to treat myself to something nice after all of this stress,” the girl groaned in frustration. “A nice Fabergé egg should do the trick.”

They all chuckled before she motioned for Nathan to walk over to the table. “Nathy, be a dear and spread word that I’m hosting a pool party a Stone Manor. Give it to our usual informants.”

The boy nodded his head obediently before turning to leave out of the section and making his rounds around the cafeteria.

\--

Two nights later, Emerald and the other girls stood before Veronica in her bedroom. The girl was fast asleep. Sapphire cast a glance around the room behind her mask. She took in everything and nodded her head approvingly. It was nice. A little vintage yet modern.

Toni walked forward and carefully taped the girl’s mouth shut while Sapphire put a calming hand on Emerald’s shoulder. Toni tapped the girl on the shoulder to wake her up and Veronica nearly sprang out the bed before realizing that she had tape on her mouth.

Sapphire doubled over laughing this time unable to help herself.

The girl mumbled something behind the tape, Toni just shrugged, “Your initiation begins now. With assuming guardianship of the beast.”

Emerald let Hotdog go and the dog jumped into Veronica’s bed as the Gems disappeared out of her bedroom and out of her apartment.

\--

It was the day of Sapphire’s pool party and the Kingpin was and her den were already at Stone Manor setting up.

_Emerald was feeling absolutely attacked._

She had been minding her business. She had her headphones in her ears as she fixed the decorative plates of fruits.

Emerald hadn’t expected the feeling of someone’s gaze trailing over her body. The way her body stood on edge and curled as their looks intensified seemingly trying to burn through the coverup that she was wearing over her swimsuit. She slowly rose her eyes from the plate of food in front of her and stood frozen at the sight of Fangs.

He stared at her like a predator and she was the prey. The look in his eyes were of deep want and Emerald could only think Finally. He was looking at her the way she had been wanting to for years every since they were younger, and he let her play kickball with him and some of other boys even though they hadn’t previously wanted her to play.

Her eyes trailed over his body slowly. She took in the sight of the way his swim shorts hung dangerously low on his hips and the smooth curve of his v-line. The trail of dark and wavy hair lining his navel and as her eyes trailed further up taking in each ab that graced his body. She made it to his biceps and she couldn’t help but to imagine the way they would fit seamless around her as he held her in his arms. She noticed his serpent tattoo and she suddenly had the need to trace over it with her tongue. Her eyes continued moving upward as she watched as his Adam’s apple bobble as he swallowed before she dragged her gaze to his face. A smirk pulled at his lips and when she finally made her way to his eyes, she noticed him only a second behind her.

“You look absolutely beautiful, Emmy,” he stated with a rough voice and the sound traveled right through her. A small smirk pulled at her lips, “Thank you, Pup. You don’t look too bad yourself.”

_You look delicious._

 He walked over towards her casually stealing some grapes off a tray and with each step, Emerald felt her heart having palpations. Right as he came to stand in front of her, a cough broke the moment and they turned to see Sweet Pea standing there with a knowing smirk.

“Don’t mind me. Saph just asked me to bring the food out,” he said raising his hands innocently and grabbing one of the trays she had been previously working on. “You can carry on with the sexual tension.”

_That little shit._

Fangs laughed slightly and took a step back before grabbing a tray of food and following behind the other boy. Emerald groaned before turning towards the faucet and splashing water on her face. She stood there glaring at the sink for a few more minutes throwing smiles on her face whenever someone from Sapphire’s den entered the room before she heard the tell-tale sign of Sapphire starting up her music playlist and cars pulling into the driveway.

Emerald stood up straight and mustered every ounce of confidence she had.  She walked out towards the back patio where the rest of the kingpin were standing as people were led to the area. She watched as Sapphire lounged uncaringly one of lounge chairs sunbathing. Her hair had been braided and she wore her favor pair of sunglasses.

They were Frozen merchandise and Sweet Pea had bought them for her just because she said she liked the movie. She takes great care of them and Sweet Pea always gets this shy smile on his face whenever he sees her in them.

Emerald took a seat on one of the lounge chairs pulling her shades from the top of her hair and over her eyes. Her gaze flickered around the students and she realized that it’d be the same kind of pool party she was used to.

\--

She didn’t notice she had almost fell asleep until she heard the unmistakable sound of Sapphire and Toni’s voices snapping. She didn’t notice until she felt the darkness in her fellow kingpin members pulling at her and awaken that part of her.

She sat up slowly covering her yawn with her hand. She looked around trying to see what had caught the attention of her gem sisters until she saw the unmissable presence of the Northsiders walking into Sapphire’s back yard.

“What the hell are they doing here,” Sapphire growled. Emerald’s eyes trailed over every one of them though she did take her time to look over that goddamn beautiful raven-haired model like boy. He was gorgeous. He looked like an idiot, but damn was he fine.

“Did he invite them,” Toni gasped in disbelief and Emerald’s brow furrowed until her mouth dropped open in sight of Fangs conversing with Veronica. She watched as the two shared a hug and the girl giving a kiss on the cheek and the smile he gave her back.

_Did he invite them? Did he invite her?_

She thought back to their moment in the kitchen and she couldn’t believe she had been so stupid. As if Fangs would ever like her in that.

She remembered his words from the Northsiders’ first day.

_You’re the only girl for me, Emmy._

Yeah fucking right.

Emerald stood up abruptly turning to walk into the house. She didn’t want to see that. She need to get herself together before she went back out there. She took a deep breath as she leaned against the wall.

She was so stupid. Fangs would never like her as more than a friend. She was just another member to Kingpin to her. Another serpent. Nothing more and it was time she realized that.

Her mind flickered back to the raven-haired boy standing out there and she thought if there was any way to get over Fangs, then he’d be the perfect one.

She took a few more deep breaths to calm her nerves before she once again walked out onto the patio. Her fellow kingpin members were clenching their fists in confusion and anger as Fangs’ conversed with the Northsiders. She stood behind them a little and noticed Jughead had moved over towards them talking to the boy from his childhood, but Emerald stopped paying that any mind.

She walked forward until she was standing on the other side of Toni looking through the throngs of people before she noticed the boy standing over by the food table that had been set up. She smirked slightly before she pulled her coverup from her body.

“Ems,” Toni questioned but Emerald ignored her. She pulled her hair out of her ponytail as she slowly made her way over to the boy. Her hips swung slightly and leisurely drawing attention from those in the crowd.

She noticed the exact moment the boy turned to look at her and a smirk pulled on her lips as he blatantly checked her out. She noticed immediately how his body reacted to her. The way his body slowly tensed and his eyes darkened. How he swallowed thickly at the sight of her. But what made it better was the look on his face when he realizes that she was heading for him.

He managed to keep his cool as she finally stopped in front of him and she titled her head up just a little. “Hello, _darling_ ,” she purred. “I’m Emerald. But the better question is who are you?”

Sapphire and Toni watched from the patio as Emerald and the Northsider converse flirting for all to see and despite their frustration about the Northsiders being there, the two girls couldn’t help but to laugh.

It seemed like Emerald had gotten tired of chasing after her Pup and decided to shine like the gemstone she was.

"Did you really think you could have a party without inviting moi?" Sapphire heard. She blinked, and Cheryl was standing in front of her patio making the move to come up there. Sapphire tilted her head to the side and her den immediately blocked it.

Sapphire smirked softly, “I did, and I can. I’ve had plenty without sending an invitation to the Blossoms and I’ll have plenty more. The fact that Emerald is flirting with the Bulldog over there is the only reason you all aren’t getting _literally_ throw out.”

Cheryl opened her mouth, but Sapphire’s features dropped into a scowl, “Cheryl, walk away now before I throw you into the pool.”

The girl huffed as Sapphire slid back down into her lounge chair. Cheryl’s eyes slid over to the tallest boy still standing on the patio and she leaned forward a little. “Hello, handsome.”

Emerald whipped around from her conversation with the boy Reggie as she felt the shift in the air. She barely manages to yell, “Saph!” before the girl in question had leaped through her den and pushed Cheryl into the pool.

As the redhead came back up for air, Sapphire glared down darkly at her. “Let me make one thing fucking clear, Sweet Pea is off limits. The next person to flirt with MY boyfriend well have a nice date with fist, do I make myself clear?”

Furious nods erupted from the Southsiders attending the party and even some of the Northsiders, but Sapphire only had eyes for the girl in the pool.

Cheryl lips pulled into a smirk, “Are you honestly worried that I’d win him over?”

Sapphire’s eyes lit up in anger, “He’s not a prize to be won, Blossom.” Sweet Pea calmly walked over to his girlfriend and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Besides, Sapphire? She’s it for me and I would never leave her especially not for _you_.”

Everyone got a clear view of Saph. Not Sapphire Stone. Not Sapphire, the Southside Gem and Member of the Kingpin. Definitely not Phire, a Southside Princess.

Just sweet and simple Saph who’s completely and irrevocably in love with Sweet Pea and the clear adoration is on her face as she looks up at him. She grabs onto his hands and the two walk back onto the patio.

Emerald smiled at the sight before she turned back to the boy Reggie, “Now, back to this conversation about how the Broncos are better than the Cowboys…”

\--

It was long after the party ended and Emerald feeling incredibly satisfied about getting Reggie’s number. She and the others had got into the pool. Well it was more like Sapphire and Toni had come over to the food table and spoke pleasantries with Reggie when their boyfriends ran over and picked them up and threw them into the pools. A loud scream erupted from their mouths as they hit the water.

Emerald tensed and looked around to make sure neither of the other kingpin members got her.

She should’ve been looking out for Reggie.

The boy wrapped his arms around her and cannonballed into the pool with her.

When she emerged from the water, she playfully glared at the boy. He smiled innocently at her before starting a splash war.

“Someone look like they had a good time,” she jumped about a mile in the air before she turned and saw Fangs who, like her, had washed up and changed into his night clothes.

Her heart fluttered at the sight of him before she remembered how close he was with the Northsider. A flash of anger overcame her before she pushed it away. A part of her had always knew that Fangs’ would never see her that way, so she had no reason to be mad.

“I did,” she replied nodding her head cordially. Something lashed across his expression before he smoothed his features. Emerald huffed quietly to herself before turning to go back to her room.

But then, Fangs grabbed onto her arm and turned her around. Before she even had time to blink his lips were on hers and her eyes were slipping closed.


	7. |six|

Emerald sighed in frustration as she watched Fangs once again hurry away from her. She couldn’t help but the feel hurt that he was ignoring her. She thought back to how he kissed her after the pool party.

_Emerald huffed quietly to herself before turning to go back to her room._

_But then, Fangs grabbed onto her arm and turned her around. Before she even had time to blink his lips were on hers and her eyes were slipping closed._

_He kissed her fiercely as if he was trying to tell her something and she kissed back just as hard. But as soon as it happened, it ended. Fangs flew away from her with wide eyes._

_“Oh my gosh, Emmy. I-I-I’m sorry. I gotta go,” and she watched him rush down the hallway and away from her. She could’ve easily gave chase and quickly caught up to him, but she was still reeling from shock from the kiss._

“What’s going with you and lover boy,” she heard coming from her left and turned to see Chase talking to her. He rose a brow and Emerald instantly remembered that he was going to start his initiation into the Serpent the next night.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied back bitterly as she turned to look at Fangs’ retreating back.

“If you say so, Princess,” the boy replied cheekily before heading off to his next class. Emerald in turn headed to the girl’s locker room to have cheer practice instead of lunch.

If Fangs want to ignore her, then she could do one better.

She walked in pulling her hair into a ponytail as she moved towards her locker, but her blood went cold at the sight of snake tank and bloody emeralds littering the floor.

She screamed.

\--

Sweet Pea’s and Jughead’s heads snapped up. Something was wrong with one of the girls. They moved from besides Sapphire and Toni’s new lockers before heading towards the two last classes. Hopefully, Fangs or Joaquin got the same feeling and headed towards Emerald.

A scream ran out loudly through the halls and everything went dead quiet.

That _was_ Emerald.

Sweet Pea and Jughead shared a look before they were running towards the direction she was in. They didn’t even miss when the door to the accounting classroom snapped open and Sapphire was storming out. Her anger palpable and people pressed themselves against the lockers to get out of her way. Neither of them knew when Toni showed up from her calculus class but suddenly she was rushing down hallway with them. Joaquin popped up from his lab class and walked with them.

It was surprising to them all to not see Fangs.

They made it to where the screaming was coming from only to see a crowd blocking the door.

“Beat it,” Sapphire snapped, and the crowd moved just for the boys to see that it was the girl’s locker room. They stood guard outside the door instead as Sapphire and Toni walked in. Toni immediately went to Emerald’s side while Sapphire walked deeper into the locker room.

She felt the cold fury explode out of her at the sight of Emerald’s locker. A snake tank with a burning snake laid at the bottom with bloody emeralds surrounding it. But on the locker, were dead baby snakes spelling out _Bulldog’s Bitch._

She was starting to have a very good idea on who could do this. She hoped it wasn’t true for Emerald’s sake, but once she got her hands on them, the little bitch is dead.

Sapphire turned abruptly and walked back towards her gem sisters. She helped Toni carry the shell shock Emerald out of the locker room and pushed the girl into her brother’s arms.

Joaquin immediately walked away from the group, but stopped at the sight of the Northsider pushing his way through the crowd at the sight of Emerald.

“Meri,” the boy whispered as he walked closer.  The Kingpin’s eyes were on him in an instant. Sapphire’s Den walked forward to pull him back, but Sapphire rose a hand to stop them. Her eyes swept through the crowd looking for the last member to their kingpin but didn’t see him anywhere. Sapphire hummed as her eyes moved back towards the Northsider. His eyes slowly moved from Emerald’s and onto the Kingpin’s.

They were all thrown back by the amount of pain in them. He had barely known the girl and, yet the emotions were clear on his face.

Sapphire saw Jughead nod out the corner of her eye as Joaquin led Emerald away and told the boy to follow him. He was going to be the first non-serpent to go to the Kingpin. The first person outside of the Teenage Kingpin to get close into their hangout.

Toni turned towards Sapphire’s den and said with a fire in her eyes, “I don’t care if you have to go through each person one by one. Find out who’s doing this to our lockers and bring them to us.”

The others nodded their heads in agreement before the den walked away. Jughead turned his gaze from Joaquin’s retreating figure and all eyes reverted at the sight of Serpent Prince Jones.

“When we find out, who’s doing this to the girls’ lockers,” he started. His voice drawled in the way that promised pain and misery. “It’ll make everything we ever done look like heaven.”

It was the look in his eyes that made everyone take another step back. Sure, the Kingpin had days were the darkness inside of them was prominent. But it was completely rare for Jughead to go full on Serpent Prince.

“Dismissed,” Sweet Pea snarled, and everyone quickly disappeared from the scene.

Sapphire exhaled, “You thinking who I’m thinking Paz?”

Her friends turned to her, but Toni nodded with furrowed brows and pursed lips. “If its true, Emerald is going to feel so hurt.”

Sapphire’s features dropped, “If its true, I’m going to regret not beating her ass from the beginning.”

The boys’ looked at them in confusion, but she only shook her head. “Come on. Let’s go check on Ems, and don’t forget it’s the Northsiders night to recite the rules.”

They all scowled before walking out of the school. Each of them mentally thankful that they don’t usually carry backpacks especially on Mondays.

They all had the passing thought of wondering where the hell was Fangs’ as they drove off.

\--

Emerald was calm and in control when that night came. She had spent the rest of the day after lunch curled in a ball in a corner of the Kingpin’s den. The other members of the Kingpin minus Fangs’ kept their distance as she calmed down. They were used to these attacks of her though they hadn’t happened in a while.

Bloody emeralds. Dead snakes.

Why hadn’t she put it together when t happened to Sapphire? She remembered it all so very clearly. The week of her initiation and waking up to find dead snakes littering her bedroom floor with emeralds coated in the snake’s blood.

She had thought Sapphire had done it. To try to scare her away from the Serpents. But Sapphire was so infuriated. Emerald hadn’t even been a Serpent yet, but the girl tore everyone apart until she found the culprit.

She doesn’t know what happened after that. Sapphire nor the others spoke about what happened, but she was one hundred percent sure they had caught the culprit.

But while her friends were the ones to know when to push her and when to leave her alone during these attacks, it was Reggie who stayed by her side. He didn’t leave not once. He just calmly sat across from her and talked to her about pointless things.

How his dad wants him to one day take over their company even though all he wants to do is play football. How when it came to football, he used to feel inferior to his friend Archie even though he put in more time for the sport. How hurt he feels when the one thing people see him as is this clueless flirt, so he played the part and didn’t complain.

And when the boy didn’t have anything to say, he just did push ups or walk around the den looking at the pictures and creating scenarios.

When she finally emerged from her corner, she walked over to him in front of a picture of her and the rest of the kingpin. They were all laughing wildly. Sweet Pea was leaning against the wall and Sapphire had fell to the floor. Toni and Jughead were trying to hold each other up and failing. Joaquin was doubled over. She and Fangs both had their heads thrown back.

It was simpler times. When the only things that mattered to them were each other.

She eventually told him stories of her time as a Serpent. Everything that made them who they were. Everything that made them a family.

The two of them sat in front of that one picture and they talked. Talked about random things and powerful things. Despite being a pretty face, the boy could keep up with her in a conversation and she liked that. She hardly every got that except from the other members of the Kingpin and the upperclassmen.

Neither noticed when the last member of the Kingpin stuck his head in the room. He glared at the sight of Emerald and Reggie huddled together and was honestly quite internally confused at the feelings coursing through him. He stubbornly turned away and stormed up to his room.

It had been around six that evening when Sapphire walked back down stairs. She didn’t see them in the den, but her eyes widen slightly when she saw the two of them in the game room playing Call of Duty. Mainly because that was Fangs and Emerald’s game that the two only played together.

She didn’t want to ruin the moment or whatever was going on between them, but they had Serpent duties to get to. Sapphire cleared her throat right as the two had cleared a stage or however you play the game. The two of them jumped and turned towards her. Her lips pulled upwards just a little in amusement. She knew that the boy wouldn’t notice, but Emerald would be able to tell.

Emerald squirmed a little at the sight of her gem sister and the amusement dancing across Sapphire’s face, “Yeah, Saph?”

She watched as Sapphire’s eyes flickered between the two of them. “As much as I would love to stay in tonight, we have things to handle down at the Whyte Worm and you need to get ready.”

A full-blown smirk crossed her features as she said, “You and lover boy can _play_ some other time.”

Emerald prayed Reggie didn’t hear the double meaning to her words. But she also realized another reason that Saph and Sweet Pea were made for each other.

_They were both little shits._

Sapphire turned to leave while Emerald saved their game. “Come on, I’ll walk you out to your car.”

Her eyes drew themselves to his body as he stood up and stretched and she watched the muscles flex in his arms before she averted her eyes and handed him his jacket. Once she walked him through the house and to the garage to his car, she stood on her tippy toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks for being here, Regs,” she whispered before stepping away, so the boy could leave. She watched his car go with a small smile on her face before she rushed back up to her room to get dressed.

Now here she was standing a top of the stage waiting for the Northsiders to enter the room. She looked over to Sapphire lounging across one of the pool tables and noticed the glint in her eyes. Toni was sitting over by the snake tank with Fangs (who was still ignoring here). Sweet Pea and Joaquin were blocking the tank from view.

And Jughead was standing beside his dad as they watched the three girls walk into the Whyte Worm. All eyes were immediately on them as the crowd let them through to stand in the middle.

“So, you’ve completed the first part of the initiation, but do you remember the laws of a Serpent,” FP questioned. “You all will repeat the rules to us together and you must get them all correct. These laws need to be burned into your brain.”

Betty nodded her head excitedly while the other two looked warily but nodded their heads too.

Jughead stepped forward first and with a loud voice he asked, “What is the first law?”

The three girls looked taken back at his loud words before sharing a glance. Each of them went, “A Serpent never shows cowardice.”

FP stated with a loud voice, “What is the second law?”

Each of them frowned a little before they went, “If a Serpent is killed or imprisoned, their family will be taken care of.”

Sapphire sat up straight on the table and her eyes narrowed before she leaned forward and purred, “What is the third law?”

Their eyes pinned to hers and a smirk made its way to Cheryl’s face before they each went,

“No Serpent stands alone.”

“No Serpent is left for dead.”

“A Serpent never betrays his own.”

Sapphire’s eyes lit up in amusement, “Cheryl Blossom and Betty Cooper, you have stated the incorrect law. How do you wish to proceed?”

The Serpents looked at each other in confusion. There was nothing else for them to do. But Emerald knew. This was going to be a Saph prank. Just how desperate were these girls to get into the Serpents?

The two girls frowned before looking at each other. “We would really like to join. Do you have an alternative?”

And Emerald knew exactly what Sapphire had planned the moment she looked in Emerald’s direction. “Don’t worry about that now. Veronica? What is the fourth law?”

The raven-haired beauty glanced around the bar and her eyes landed on Fangs’. He gave a slight nod. He had been helping her with this. He watched her take a deep breath before turning to look back at Sapphire.

Sapphire who hadn’t missed that exchange and was struggling to contain the darkens inside of her. He’d rather have her than to have Emerald. The girl who had been crushing on him forever. The current baby of the Kingpin.

_Oh, there will be vengeance._

“No Serpent is left for dead.”

Sapphire nodded her head and turned back to FP and Jughead. Jughead took his cue when he saw that she was struggling to push down her other self. “What is the fifth law?”

“A Serpent never betrays his own,” Veronica announced. And Emerald suddenly had the realization that if the girl ended up on the cheer team, then she might try to pave the way to get her friends on. She could literally buy the team and they would have no choice.

Emerald’s gaze slipped to Sapphire and she calm slightly when she remembered that there was no way that Sapphire would let that happen.

FP took back the reins, “What is the sixth law?”

Veronica took another deep breath before she went, “In unity, there is strength.”

Emerald bit back her growl as she and the other Serpents repeated, “IN UNITY, THERE IS STRENGTH.”

FP rose a hand everyone immediately went quiet. He looked at Veronica and cast a glance around the room and looked at each member of the Kingpin before he turned back to her. “You know the laws. Now it’s time for the next trial.”

Joaquin and Sweet Pea straightened up and unblocked the view of the tank. Emerald blinked at the sight of extra snakes in the tank, but Sapphire perked up as she leaned forward a little and purred, “Retrieve the knife.”

Veronica froze. Fangs’ had told her that this would be a part of the initiation. But he also told her that it would be only one snake. She turned to look at Sapphire and noticed the look in the girl’s eyes. She knew that Sapphire would want nothing more than to see her fail. But Veronica was Lodge. She would not be punked down by some reject McClain sister.

Veronica moved over to the tank and reached in without hesitation. Her hand grasped the handle of the knife at the same second each snake shot out and bit her.

Veronica felt the air shift when she pulled the knife out. She turned around and she noticed the look Sapphire and Emerald were giving her.

Sapphire’s nostrils flared as Fangs walked forward to congratulate her. The rest of the Kingpin watched as he took her to FP’s office to clean the wounds on her hands.

_Should’ve went with the ones that still had their venom glands._

She turned back to the other two girls and cruel smirk made its way onto her lips. If she couldn’t keep all three of them away from the Serpents, at least she’ll be able to make due with these two.

“You asked for an alternative? Well, there is one. Its an old Serpent tradition. You wanna join so badly? You gotta do the Serpent Dance.”

Betty nodded her head eagerly again, “What’s the Serpent Dance?”

They should’ve been worried about the look on her face.

\--

Emerald laid awake in her bed staring absently at the ceiling. After the night they had, they all had decided to stay at the Kingpin instead of going to their respective homes. But Emerald couldn’t sleep.

She had been there when Sapphire explained the Serpent Dance to the other two girls and the shock that was on their faces when Betty agreed to do it.

The dance was honestly horrible and cringy. But she did it and because it was said in front of so many of the Serpents, there was no choice but to let the girl move on to the next part of the initiation.

The gauntlet.

Emerald could see that Sapphire couldn’t wait for the next night to finish the initiation off. She knew that Sapphire had no plans for girl’s to even make it pass her. She also knew that Sapphire had no plans for the girl to make it to her.

And Emerald couldn’t wait for it herself. Because the best part of it all? Was that she didn’t have to see Fangs fawning over Veronica since he would be to busy with the other boys starting off Chase’s initiation.

Her phone beeped with a text message and Emerald rolled over to check it.

_The world is ugly, but you’re beautiful to me. – Regs_

A picture of the gate to Stone Manor was attached and Emerald sat up in her bed. She looked out the window and noticed his car parked outside of the gates.

A smile grew on her face before she jumps out of bed. She threw on a pair of skinny jeans and a white t shirt and grabbed her combat boots and Serpent Jacket. She stuffed her phone into her pocket and grabbed her keys to the gate and the house door before running out of her room. She rushed passed everyone’s door as quickly as she could and all but sprinted out down to the front foyer. She pressed reset the alarm before she threw open the door and just barely remembered to lock the door behind her.

Emerald ran down towards the gate and threw in the code for the small door to it and slipped through. Reggie had already leaned across and had the door waiting for her to open it.

“Come on, Snake. Lemme show you the beauty of the Northside. The best place to see the stars.”

“Do your best, _Pup_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> COME SCREAM AT ME ON TUMBLR...
> 
> @kneesheee
> 
> You can even ask about Sapphire or any of my future Gems.


	8. |seven|

Emerald snuck back into the Manor as quietly as she could. It was nearly four in the morning and she was one hundred percent sure that everyone else was sleep.  She once again reset the alarm before making her way to her room.

She could hear the weird ass rain soundtrack Sweet Pea likes to play to help him sleep and snoring coming from both Joaquin and Jughead’s rooms. Fangs’ door was cracked open like always and she peeked in to see he was hanging off his bed sleeping.

She doubted she needed to check the girl’s room. Toni sleeps with noise cancellers on and Sapphire wouldn’t wake up even if the house was on fire.

Emerald entered her room with a small smile on her face. She really did have a good time with Reggie and the spot he found was wonderful. A clear view of Sweetwater River and the stars. It was wonderful. He had lied across her lap silently and listened to her read a few chapters of Wuthering Heights. She had been surprised to see it in his car but apparently, it was on his summer reading list for his English at Riverdale high.

“It was an alright story,” he had shrugged, and she rolled her eyes. “I’m more of a football than a literature kind of guy.”

And she snorted when she remembered the message he had sent her earlier. But she also looked at him when he spoke about football. He missed it and she could tell. So, she told herself that she would ask for Sapphire and Toni to back her up when she went to talk to the football captain tomorrow to let Reggie on.

_After all, who could deny their princesses?_

Emerald pulled off her jacket and threw back onto her desk chair before turning and barely managing to stop herself from screaming at the sight of Toni and Sapphire lounging on her bed. Toni had on one of Jughead’s old t shirts and Sapphire looked like she just stepped out of a magazine for sleepwear.

“So, Emerald,” Sapphire started, taking a sip of her wine. “Where have you been?”

Toni smirked at the slightly guilty look on Emerald’s face as the girl in question started to blush. “I went out for a run?”

The girls’ snorted, “Your run surely did look like Reggie’s car.”

“Whaaa,” Emerald stuttered. She was usually a better liar than this. She wasn’t the manipulator of the Kingpin for nothing.

Sapphire shook her head with a smile, “The motion sensors picked up you leaving the Manor and the cameras caught his car.”

“And she woke me up when the sensors went off again and saw you sneaking back in,” Toni smirked lightly.

Emerald’s blush deepened. “It was nothing serious.”

Sapphire laughed aloud, “It was nothing serious,” she mocked. “The boy has a crush on you, Ems.”

Emerald was pretty sure her whole face was an alarming shade of red. Toni arched a brow, “And by your reaction, I’m guessing you like him too.”

Emerald shrugged as she moved around her room changing back into her pajamas, “I mean I guess I do? He’s funny and way smarter than he looks. And he’s fucking beautiful. He’s a huge dork.”

The other two gems shared a smile, “So what are you going to do about it?”

She sighed as she moved to lie down next to them all, “I don’t know. I told myself that I’ll ask you guys to come with to talk to Jason. I’m going to try to get him on the football team.”

The smiles suddenly vanished from their faces and Sapphire set her wine to the side. “Em, we’d love to help really, but…”

Toni took over and said, “If we get a northsider on the team, who’s to say that those girls wouldn’t hound you to get on the cheer squad?”

Emerald thought that over before she thought back to the look on Reggie’s face when he spoke about football. She thought about the looks on every regular students’ face when they were told they couldn’t get on the football team.

“I’ll take that risk,” she breathed out. “And I want you two to back me up when I ask him to open up the team to non-serpents?”

Toni and Sapphire shot up from their spots and whipped around to look at her, “Ems, you know what that means then? Jason is going to want to you open the squad up to non-members!”

Emerald shrugged, “I’ll deal with that when its comes up. I just really need you guys help.”

The other two girls shared a look before turning back to Emerald, “You know we have your back through everything.”

“Sisters?” Emerald smiled. The other two rolled their eyes with small smiles reappearing on their faces. “Sisters.”

“You’re still an idiot,” Sapphire said as the three of them laid down and got comfortable.

What was the point of Toni and Sapphire going back to their rooms now?

\--

Emerald doodled absently on the margins of her notebook waiting for Mr. Mouse to enter the room. She ignored the sound of Veronica and Fangs giggling like elementary children in front of her. She took pleasure in the fact that the gauntlet was that night and she’d be blessed with the chance to knock the girls mouth shut.

Chase sat beside her with his head laying across the table and she suddenly felt a spike of worry for the boy. His initiation started tonight, and she bet he was completely unprepared.

“Chase,” she hissed nudging him lightly. The boy groaned a little as he lifts his head to look at her. He rose an unimpressed brow and she glared back at him. She felt a little bit of the serpent princess spill out of her and she noticed how Fangs’ tensed slightly at the feeling. Chase blinked at the look on her face before averting his eyes.

She took a deep breath and reigned herself back in. She took a glance around the room noting absently the tenseness still inside of Fangs before she leaned down to whisper into Chase’s ear. “If you’re going to join the Serpents, the best thing to do is to join Sapphire’s Den.”

He scoffed lightly, “And have Sweet Pea look like he’s a second away from murdering me with his teeth? No, thanks.”

She hit him lightly, “Its actually her overprotective and mysterious older brother Joaquin you need to worry about, but if you think you can get through initiation by yourself then fine.”

He would’ve replied but Mr. Mouse walked into the classroom. She felt a sort of itch under her skin and she noticed that Fangs was squirming also. One of their friends were nearby and they were irritated.

“Alright class, now for your end of the semester project. I decided to put you all into groups. For the first group, we have Mr. Chase Briefs and Miss Emerald Wayne with Mr. Fangs Fogarty and Miss Veronica Lodge.”

And even though Emerald had been calm and collected, the darkness exploded out of her in waves. It coated the classrooms and engulfed everyone. Emerald felt like she couldn’t breathe. She was light head. She had to work with them for a whole semester? As if it weren’t bad enough that she had to sit behind them and watch them make googly eyes at each other?

Mr. Mouse hesitated as he felt the tension rise in the air and peeked up from his papers just a little. Miss Wayne and Mr. Fogarty had turned to each other glaring death into one of another’s souls, but the more interesting part was when Emerald broke eye contact with him and something even more malevolent entered her eyes as she looked at Miss Lodge.

The man shifted a little in his spot before continuing to read the names off the papers. He might not have been a teacher the previous year, but he saw the videos of the chaos any of those Kingpin members could bring. For Miss Wayne to be so small and childlike and energetic, the videos showed how devilish she could be with just the right kind of words. How she sat back and watched the pandemonium surround her as she laughs and laugh and laugh. Like the other members of their godforsaken group, her eyes lost all warmth in them. They became inexpressive. But unlike, her friend, Miss Stone, Emerald was all for showing her features. Her lips pulled into a delighted smirk or smile as everything descended into hell. The way the darkness wrapped around them like cloaks. Unmovable. Untouchable. Anything and everything they could ever want at their fingertips and would take down anyone that stood in their way with no hesitation.

He made it to the end of the names and the tension hadn’t died down in the slightest, so he forced a smile on his face as he announced the next part.

“Now, I’ve spoken with Mr. McNulty and he has agreed that our classes should work together for this project…”

_More like I agreed in a loud and breathiest voice as he penetrated me against the supply closet wall at Chems4Us._

“So, let’s give them a warm welcome and listen for who you shall also be partnered with from their class,” he continued. He moved to open the door and the other chemistry teacher walked in give him a nod. The man paused as he felt the tension in the room, but didn’t have the chance to say anything before a small body was pushing him out of the way.

Sapphire Stone walked into the room and the sound of her combat boots echoed against the floor as she went to stand next to her friends. She leaned down slowly and whispered so softly that their lab partners couldn’t even hear: “If you two don’t reign yourselves in right now, I’m calling FP and you both can be on bike duty.”

The other two members flinched back. Bike duty was something no one ever wanted to be on especially not when some of them just came back from a mission in the muddy areas of Greendale. Not to mention that neither wanted to be in such a close proximity with the other alone. Mainly Fangs because he still didn’t know what to do with his emotions and Emerald doesn’t think she’s strong enough for that.

Sapphire stood up straight and her eyes flickered across the room before she turned back towards the teachers. She felt Fangs and Emerald trying to reign themselves in and she nodded her head.

Mr. McNulty cleared his throat and went, “After much talking between your teacher and I, we have concluded who from my smaller class shall be partnered up with yours.”

The teacher droned on and on naming the students and which group they would be added to until Emerald perked up at the sound of Reggie’s name. Her eyes moved across the students standing at the front of the class until they landed on her raven-haired _something_.

“Reginald Mantle and Sapphire Stone,” Sapphire quirked a brow at that. “Will be paired up with the group consisting of Miss Emerald Wayne, Miss Veronica Lodge, Mr. Chase Briefs, and Mr. Fangs Fogarty.”

Sapphire placed a calming hand on Emerald’s shoulder and another on Fangs’ as Reggie made his way over to them.

This should be interesting.

Reggie stood by the table and shot a smile at Emerald wiping away the traces of her irritation. She smiled back, and Sapphire inwardly groaned. She couldn’t believe her luck. She couldn’t be in the group with all these people making goo-goo eyes at each other.

She half listened as she kept her eyes on her five groupmates. Reggie made his way around the table until he stood beside Emerald and he leaned down a little to whisper:

“I always knew we had chemistry, Meri.”

 _Kill me now,_ Sapphire thought.

“You’re a dork, Pup.”

Sapphire and Fangs froze. Both of their heads whipped towards Emerald and noticed how she ignored them to continue whisper with Reggie. A strange sense of sardonic amusement bubbled inside of Sapphire threatening to escape at the betrayed look on Fangs’ face.

She shouldn’t feel so much satisfaction at the miscommunication between her two dearest friends, but its so rare that she ever got see such entertainment.

The bell rung for the end of class before anything else could happen and Sapphire looped her arm around Emerald’s. Her gaze shifted between everyone, but paused as the boy Chase opened his mouth to say something before he started trying to scurry away.

“Stop,” she declared. When they all looked to her, she rose a brow. “We’ll meet up tomorrow after school.  We’ll meet at my house. Do _not_ drive your ass to Stone Manor. We’re going to my actual house.”

And then Sapphire was pulling Emerald away from the scene. “Sooo, what was that?”

Emerald’s brow furrowed, “What was what?”

Sapphire hummed lightly deciding to not to question the girl anymore as they made their way to their new lockers. _Emerald was happy that she no longer had to share with Veronica. The principal realize sense and Sapphire had refused to have her anywhere except for near her and Toni._ Toni was leaning against hers with her eyes piercing the blonde down the hall in her place. Sapphire and Emerald rose a brow as they could see the tension running through Toni that she refused to let out.

Emerald turned to see who the girl was looking at and noticed the sight of Betty talking animatedly to Jughead. The girl had a bright smile on her face as the two talked passionately and Emerald realize that Toni was jealous.

Not so much of worry that two of them would ever be together. She was sure of her place in Jughead’s life, but more so of the fact that whatever conversation the two were having was keeping Jughead and Toni apart. And Toni wasn’t one of those girlfriend’s that feel threaten and try to force herself into conversations.

Emerald shared a smile with Sapphire before the sounds of their arrival caught Toni’s attention. Their gem sister saw the way they looked at her and she huffed out a laugh and rolled her eyes.

When they got close Toni asked, “Do you guys ever wonder what life would be like if any of us grew up on the northside?”

They each paused in changing out their books before Sapphire scoffed, “I’ll rather drown like Blossom.”

Toni smacked her arm harshly, “You shouldn’t speak ill of the dead.”

Sapphire finished changing her books out and sneered, “Tell that to his stale wig wearing ass father who spoke lowly of my parents when it was their car that killed them.”

She slammed the locker shut and stormed away, but she stopped by Jughead and Betty and said something that had the blonde girl paling in fear and Jughead smirking. And then she disappeared down the hall.

\--

Lunch time rolled around. Emerald and the other girls were making their way to the boys’ locker room. She was the one to knock on the door and Dacre (a boy who had a major crush on Sapphire once upon a time but stopped when he noticed all the broken bones Sweet Pea used to give anyone else that got close to her) opened it. He straightened up at the sight of them, and Sapphire shot him a smile which led him to quickly avert his eyes. She would’ve kissed him on the cheek, but she knows the boy would have a heart attack. Not only from the kiss but from fear of Sweet Pea. (Like she’s not a tiny ball of fury herself).

He stepped out of the way and the girls walked in. The sound of the heels Sapphire switched into echoing off across the floor leading the boys to scramble to get decent. Smirks pulled at each of the girls’ lips before Jason came into view. He tensed at the sight of the gems standing before him.

“Jason. Jason. Jason,” Sapphire mocked. The quietness of the room leaving her voice to echo off the lockers and the walls. Jason shivered in fear especially with the way the other girls were smirking.

He watched as Emerald’s eyes lit up with glee and it was like watching a transformation with how quickly she changed. She wasn’t Emerald Wayne anymore. She was Meri, a southside princess and a southside gem. Her voice was sweet as sugar and her eyes held so much amusement for the chaos she could soon cause.

“We want something from you,” the girl sang bouncing on the heels of her feet. Shivers went down all the boys’ spine at her words. Nothing good ever came from her wanting something.

Jason cleared his throat and sat up. He put ever ounce of confidence he had in his form and noticed the look of approval the girls gave him. “Yeah? And what is that?”

Emerald tilted her head to the side, “I got someone I want you to add on the team. Call it you repaying that favor for when I took over repaying Penny for you.”

Jason’s brow furrowed, “If this is the northsider boy- “

Emerald whipped out her phone and pressed it to her ear, “Oh, what was that Penny? You need a favor? Jason would love to help, or you can you know just broadcast exactly why he came to you last time. I think it was because he needed- “

“Okay. Okay. I’ll add your little boy toy. But if he’s not good, I’m kicking him off.”

Sapphire and Toni looked surprised at his easy agreement. Though Emerald looked like she wasn’t even surprised, “Pleasure doing business with you,” she purred before turning to walk away. “Ill let him know. Send me your practice schedule.”

Her gem sisters followed her out, but Emerald stopped right at the opening to the lockers. “If you fuck me over Jason or give him a hard time, then I will make you and your sister regret ever coming back to Southside High.”

Then she kept walking and noticing the way Sapphire pursed her lips before she and Toni turned around and glared darkly into the boy’s soul. “Don’t make me have you all leaving again,” Sapphire stated into the quietness of the locker room before walking out completely.

\--

Emerald standing to Sapphire’s left in her spot near the end of the gauntlet line. She looked at Toni standing across from her before glancing at Sapphire. All three of them wore their serpents’ jackets and Sapphire’s fist clenched around one of Sweet Pea’s spare brass knuckles.

Her eyes were drawn back once again to the beginning of the lines when Betty stepped forward. The girl looked almost scared to be there and she saw how the girl chanced a glance at Sapphire and almost back away. Veronica stepped forward and gave the girl a comforting pat on her shoulder before Betty straightened her spine and stepped forward into the masses.

Immediately the punches went flying and Emerald was slightly impressed the girl with how well the girl was taking the licks until one beautiful punch hit her right in the face and the girl went down. They waited for the girl to get up, but she could do nothing but groan.

Emerald heard Sapphire scoff as she motioned for someone to come forth and take the girl to the medic. Everyone resumed their positions as Veronica stepped forward and this time Emerald let a dark smirk cross her features.

The girl took a deep breath and looked around. Emerald chuckled darkly when she realized the girl was looking for Fangs. When she didn’t see the boy, she took another deep breath and stepped forward into the masses.

Unlike her friend, Veronica managed to get near the end. Emerald and Toni shared a look before Emerald gave her a nod. Toni went forward and punched the girl. Veronica’s head snapped sideways and she wobbled a bit but managed to keep her balance at the last second. Emerald’s eyes narrowed before her own fist shot out and punched the raven-haired girl.

Veronica fell to the ground and sat for a moment before she was heaving herself up. She looked at Sapphire and went, “Is that all you got?”

Sapphire’s smirked darkly fingers still clenching and unclenching the brass knuckles before her fist shot out with all the strength she had, and Veronica twirled in the air before she hit the ground with a loud thud.

She didn’t get up again.

\--

The next day Emerald was once again walking by herself to the girl’s locker room for cheer practice during lunch. She and the other gems had told them boys that she had got Reggie on the team and to look out for him in case Jason tried anything. All of them agreed well except Fangs who didn’t say anything but text away on his phone. But Emerald had better things to worry about that Fangs mending his little girlfriend’s heart after she didn’t make it through initiation.

Emerald was in the process of pulling her hair into a ponytail feeling a sense of déjà vu overtaking her when she remembered that was exactly was she was doing the last time. She had just made it to where her new locker was stationed when something hard hit the back of her head.

The last thing she saw was bloody emeralds falling to the floor.

~~~~

Make sure to check out the [Southside's Gem ](https://southsidesgems.tumblr.com/)blog for imagines or if you want to talk to any of the Gems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, my lovelies. I’ve been thinking it over and I’ve got this idea. If you want to see more of Southside’s Segments, then I’m looking for 4-5 writers and like 2 editors. I’ve talked it over with the Pod Squad and they like the idea also.  
> A few things about it:  
> 1) It’s basically like Keeping Up With Kardashians fanfiction. Not only will there be posts about what our darling Serpents (and Ghoulies) are up to, but you’ll also get to read about our OCs. 
> 
> 2) They will all be “written” by Jughead Jones. 
> 
> 3) Some posts will be connected to our stories. Like in Sweet Pea’s Sapphire, so you might end up seeing them twice. 
> 
> 4) We’ll be taking “requests” about what you all would want to be updated on. Like for instance, if you wanted an update about Sapphire and how she is recovering, then “Jughead” will write a piece in the paper for you all.
> 
> But this can’t happen unless we get some writers and editors. You can all DM me if you have anymore questions or if you think you’re up for the job.


	9. |eight|

Reggie was running through the halls of Southside High until he made it to the Southside’s Gems lockers. Almost all the Kingpin were there. Every single last one of them, except the one that mattered the most.

“Sapphire,” Reggie gasped out catching his breath. She and the others all turned to look at him with furrowed brows. Sapphire walked over to him and tilted her head to the side.

“Reginald,” she questioned. “I don’t know where Ems is.”

Reggie shook his head almost reaching out to pull on her hand but thought better of it. He straightened up and boldly looked the small girl in the eye. Her eyes immediately narrowed at the sight and she rose her hand without looking to stop the other kingpin members. “Someone took her.”

They all stiffened. Sapphire’s hands clenched into fists and a shadow started to cross her features. “What do you mean took her?”

Reggie shifted on his feet, “She had asked me to wait for her after her cheer practice, but the other girls said she never showed. So, I was on my way here to her locker when I saw these bloody emeralds littering the floor outside of the locker room. It was like someone just poured them all out…”

“…But the emeralds were spread out to say, ‘Got your gem’. I came here as soon as I saw it.”

He barely finished his sentence before his world was coated black. He felt a hand wrapped around his wrist and then he was struggling to move along. He couldn’t see. He couldn’t hear. But there was something in the air. Something that promised revenge and pain and death. Something pure and undeniably evil. Something tainted by forces darker than anything ever imagined.

As the evilness warped around him like a coat, he swore he could hear a camera flashing, the sound of metal hitting flesh, a chilling laugh, a table breaking, the whirl of a motorcycle, the whoosh from a deposit. He could still feel himself being pulled out, but this time it felt like the tension around him was seeping into his skin.

He felt whoever was pulling him slow down and though it didn’t seem possible, it seemed to grow even gloomier around him. He felt as if he was choking on this feeling, but it wouldn’t let up. It was like it continuously to grow like bacteria or fungi. His head hurt, and he crumpled to the ground.

He felt hands grabbing him from left to right until he was being carried by multiple people. He felt vibrations in the air, but he couldn’t hear. Not with this power pressing down on him.

It wasn’t long before he blacked out.

\--

“All that blood looks good on you,” Emerald heard. “It really brings out your eyes.”

She looked around for the source to the voice, but she couldn’t see anyone. Not in the darkroom she was hanging from the ceiling from like some human piñata. Her head hurt like hell. She didn’t even know where she was or how she ended up here.

But she learned from when she first woke up to a punch to her face to not look down. Whoever had kept emeralds in a big bucket under her where her dripping blood continued to fall on. She had the absent thought to wonder how the hell whoever this was could afford this many emeralds and why waste good gemstones like this.

“Why are you doing this,” she called out. “Can you at least tell me that?”

A chilling laugh rang out around her, “Because we can.”

They watched her hang from the ceiling desperate trying to ease the pain in her arms, and her gasps of pain were like music to their ears. Emerald’s head snapped up when she heard footsteps walking towards her. Her eyes bulged when she saw just who had taken her.

Candace and Jason Willis.

Candace pouted, “What surprised to see us, _BFF_?”

Emerald frowned confused as her eyes swept over both. She felt a fury bubble inside of her. She turned to look at Jason and glared at him. “How lucky we are,” she murmured into the air. “To have as a good friend as you in our ranks. Honestly, the performance you’ve been putting on is flawless. Moved me to tears. Bravo. But I hope you realize that you broke a law and you will have to face the consequences.”

Jason said nothing and only rose a brow. “You seem surprised that it’s us doing this. Didn’t you like our gifts?”

Candace smiled bitterly, “we gave you the same kind a few years ago but Sapphire made sure you never knew it was us.”

“Sapphire,” Emerald questioned. The siblings’ eyes lit up.

“Oh? You don’t know?” Candace laughed out. “You don’t know how that bitch stormed into our house in the middle of night and threatened to burn the whole place down with us still in it…”

“How she was casually holding a canister and letting the gasoline pour on our floors…” Jason snarled. “’don’t ever come near emerald again’ she had said.”

“How she threatened to kill off our whole family,” Candace continued. “And how she would be able to get away with it.”

“Money goes a long way,” Jason mocked pretending to sound like Sapphire. “it’s all your fault.”

“Our dad could never keep a job. It was like Sapphire was constantly watching us,” Candace ranted. “I can’t think of anything worse she could do. After a night of drinking and then hearing a scream in the middle of the night. Waking up in a broken home and not being able to remember what the better times looked like. How life used to be. Or why my father was lying dead.”

“Sapphire. Wouldn’t. She wouldn’t.”

“Wouldn’t she,” Jason questioned. “You know how protective that fucking slut can get. She definitely wouldn’t want to see her gem sister get hurt.”

“How is it my fault? What could you have done to hurt me?”

The siblings looked at each other and laughed. “Can’t you see, Emmy. It’s always has been about you. When you left me to join the serpents,” Candace pouted. “We were supposed to be better. Powerful. But then you went joined those snakes.”

“The serpents are my family,” she hissed. She felt the darkness inside of her stir. “They welcomed me when no one else did. You didn’t even care. Not with your fake pity anytime I showed up from foster care with a new bruise.”

“That didn’t give you any right to leave me,” Candace yelled.

“I ASKED YOU TO JOIN WITH ME AND YOU CALLED ME A SERPENT SLUT. HOW FUCKING ORIGINAL,” she yelled back.

Emerald’s face whipped to the side as Candace slapped her. “You know what, Emerald? I don’t even care anymore. You see we didn’t even want this to happen. But you pushed the limit when you basically forced Jason to add someone to _his_ team. “

Emerald snarled, “The team belongs to the Serpents.”

Candace slapped her again, “And so do you but look where you are. With me. As it always should have been. Me and you together. Forever.”

She was left alone with those parting words.

\--

“Why aren’t you afraid of me,” Candace questioned her when she came back hours later? Emerald scoffed. “Seriously? I have worse nightmares about failing AP Chemistry.”

_But now its getting harder to wake up from a nightmare especially since she’s not even asleep._

Candace laughed mockingly. “This is all a game to you,” Emerald murmured. She made eye contact with the girl as she walked closer to where Emerald still hanging. “Some sick twisted game that you’re playing for your own amusement to get back at me for joining my family.

Candace nodded seriously, “We’ll go with that. But what’s makes you think that three of us are the only ones in the game?”

Another laugh rang out. This one deeper and Emerald’s eyes moved from Candace to see Jason dragging a struggling man in. “You see, Emmy. Jason’s told me all about the little darkness inside of you. And I want to see it. Up close and personal. So, you’re going to let it out and show me exactly how dark you can get.”

Jason dropped the man down and looked at her. “Either you let Meri out to play or well go have some fun with your other friends. I’m sure it’d be quite easy to get to them if we just told them we knew were you were. And can I just say Toni looks beautiful? Just completely ripe for the taking. I’ve always wanted her. To have her legs pushed back to her head and I fucked her deep and deeper into a mattress. Hearing her cry out my name as my tongue swirled around inside of her. Feeling the warm press of her mouth as I shoved my dick down her throat…”

Candace hummed, “And no matter how much of a bitch Sapphire is… I’d love to have her bent over the nearest surface. Hearing her moans of pleasure as I fucked her and slapped her ass. Yanking her back by her hair as I went deeper and deeper into her. The expression she would wear as I rode her face and pulling back to see all of my juices coating her lips.” Candace licked her lips. “I’m getting wet just thinking about it now.”

Her hand slipped down into her own pants before she stripped right then and there. Jason moved to chain the man up before making his way back to his sister’s side. Candace looked up at Emerald and smiled. “This is what you could have had Emerald. But no worries, you’re here with me now. And I’m going to thoroughly enjoy my time. But first… Jason, please.”

Jason didn’t waste anytime before he was kissing the girl. Emerald watched with disgust filled eyes as the two made out with each other right in front of her before she turned her head from the scene.

“No. No. No. Emerald. You have to watch,” she heard Candace say before she felt a pull on the chains and her head was snapping back towards their direction. She looked and saw Jason walking back towards Candace once again before he lowered his sister to the ground.

“Come on, Jason,” Candace stated breathlessly. “Show her what’s she’s been missing out on.”

Jason didn’t answer her before he was shoving his pants and boxers down before swiftly entering her. “Fuck, you really were getting wet from that.”

Emerald was forced to watch as the two of their hips moved in sync. Candace’s eyes on hers as Jason tore moans out of her at every turn. “Fuck. Yes. Harder. Jason. Jason.”

Jason groaned and moaned in response. His hips moving faster as his lips moved and sucked on every piece of skin he could get to. “Candace…”

Candace gasped as she shook her head. “No. No, call me… Call me, Emerald.”

The actual Emerald felt sick to her stomach.

The two of them continued until all she heard moans and groans and the constant grunts of _Emerald_ and the sounds of skin slapping against skin. And then she heard Jason breathe out, “Cum for me, Emerald. Just like before, baby.” and the sound of Candace going, “Yes, daddy. Yes."

Emerald knew that she would never get the image of the two of them finishing at the same time out of her head. They disconnected from each other before looking at her with bright and fucking insane smiles. “Did you enjoy the show Emerald? Maybe if you’re good enough we can give you a scene in it.”

And then Candace left, and Emerald was so disturbed by the events that she could feel the darkness inside of her pulsing. Begging to be let free. Pleading to take revenge and kill them for making her see that. Crying for their blood because the scene was disturbing, and she shouldn’t be turned on by it.

And then she felt herself being lowered to the ground before Jason was unlocking the chains around her and disappeared out of a door she hadn’t seen.

She was confused and shocked by the events. She hadn’t had a clue to what was going on until she heard the sounds and cries of the man chained not far away from her.

Emerald froze. She tried to keep the darkness in her at bay, but she didn’t know what to do. She didn’t even know if this was a test. The darkness was seeping out of her in small waves.

The sound of laughter hit her ears and she realize it was coming from her. A deep chilling laugh and she could see the man stare at her in fear and horror. She could feel the darkness in her slip from her grasp. There was no hope of reigning herself in.

She didn’t care anymore.

She just wanted to see blood.                                                                        

With one look in his eyes, she only smiled brightly and laughed. “I promise. It won’t hurt that much when it’s over.”

A part of her. A deep sane part of her that was still Emerald cried for her chance to escape, but the part of her that was Meri. The Southside Princess. The Southside Gem. Relished in the power that rested in her hands.  She had never killed anyone before. She wondered if death was as beautiful as it seemed.

She shivered just a little as her bare feet touched the ground before she got over it. Each step she took her footsteps echoed. Each step she took she sang. “Close your eyes, count to seven, when you wake, we’ll be in heaven.”

The man scrambled further away from her and Meri laughed again.

“Close your eyes, count to seven, when you wake, we’ll be in heaven.”

The last thing the man will ever remember will be the sound of her laugh and the feeling of her fist.

\--

When the fog cleared from around Emerald and she could breathe feeling like herself again, the only thing she could see was blood splattered across the room and the crumple figure in front of her. Her hands were gripping a knife and she couldn’t even begin to count all the stab marks littering the man’s body.

She stared down at her bloodstained hands as she backed away from his body.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, silent tears running down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry.”

She screamed and screamed and scream. She didn’t stop screaming until she felt a needle pierce her skin and she feel into depths of her subconscious.

\--

Jason walked towards Emerald slowly. She stared at him in trembling fear. They had already made her kill someone. Who knew what else they would make her do.

He towered over her form from where they threw her to the ground. In her previous unconscious state, they had chained her again. Her wrists and ankles were chained to the ground and she could hardly move.

“You’re so beautiful, Emerald,” he whispered. His fingers trailed against her bare legs as he stared into her eyes. “I’ve always liked you. When we were younger, and you used to always come over to our house. I used to love to hear you laugh.”

Emerald’s brows furrowed. She hadn’t known he had a crush on her. “Gorgeous. You were so always so gorgeous.”

His features dropped into frown, “But you had to like that serpent. That snake.”

“You’re a serpent too,” she whispered.

Her head whipped to the side as his fist connected to her face. He came closer to her face and held it straight to look her in the eyes. “I am not one of you. I never was. I only joined to get back at you.”

Emerald glared, “Serpent laws says no serpent never betrays his own.”

This time to fell over when his hand connected with her face, but she refused to shed a tear. She was Emerald Delphi Fucking Wayne. She was a Southside Serpent. A Southside Gem. A Southside Princess. She was the Head Fearleader at the School. She refused to show cowardice.

When he forced her to look at him again, she spat blood in his face. Jason growled in angry before he slapped her again. But he didn’t stop there. He pulled at her clothes forcing them off her and using his other hand to pull off his own clothes.

Emerald’s eyes widen in fear before he was bending down and furiously kissing her. “You’re going to learn that I’m the one with the power now.”

He moved from her lips and to her neck kissing and biting harshly. Pulling at the skin leaving dark bruises. His hands were all over her and Emerald was panicking, and she was crying.

“Jason, stop. JASON STOP! STOP!”

But he wouldn’t. He kept touching her and kissing on her. And then she cried out from the excruciating pain of him forcing himself on her. She wept harshly. He took her virginity. He took her purity and she cried harshly with every snap of his hips.

She had never wanted anything like this. She had always imagined giving herself up to Fangs. She tried to drown out every groan that slipped from his lips as he rocked against her. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered in her ear.

His movements picked up speed and she continued to cry harder with every sharp tug. “This is what you wanted. You know it was,” he whispered. “You were saving yourself for this moment.”

She couldn’t answer as he snapped his hips against hers even harder tearing a loud scream from her mouth from the pain. “That’s right, beautiful. Scream for me.”

He continued snapping his hips against hers over and over again harder and faster tearing scream and scream from her until his rhythm started to falter. He yanked himself out of her getting a gasp of pain from her before stuffing his dick deep into her mouth. He tilted her head back forcing her mouth to stay open by pulling harshly on her hair as he fucked her mouth roughly until his semen spurted out of her. When he was finished, he patted his dick around her face a few times before he let her go.

“That was wonderful, beautiful,” he whispered running his thumb across her cheek. “We gotta do that again sometime.”

He stood and fixed himself up before turning to leave. Emerald stared blankly at the walls to shamed to speak or even move despite the pain attacking her lower region. He looked at her once more. And at that moment, he saw the life leave her beautiful dark eyes even if she wasn’t dead. He walked away and leaving her with the parting words of…

“I want you to remember that you deserved this.”

\--

Candace and Jason hadn’t wanted this. Of course, they want to get revenge on Emerald. They want her to be broken, despondent, but the person staring blankly at the walls, terrified of their own power, wasn’t what they wanted.

“Darling, you’re beautiful. You don’t need to be scared with me. I promise you that,” Jason stated. “Look- try and attack me and I promise I can stop you. You are safe with me. You couldn’t hurt me if you tried. I’m just like you.”

But then she heard the door being burst opened from somewhere in the building. The sound of motorcycles echoing from the outside. Emerald cast a hopeful glance at the doors. Her family. They came for her.

“You killed someone,” Candace hissed. “do you really think they’re ever going to want you back?”

Emerald’s head dropped a little in despair. Her hope shattering as quickly as it came. She was desperate, and Candace savored that.

“We’ll always want you, even if they don’t,” Jason whispered in her ear. “I understand what its like. It was an accident, wasn’t it? You just couldn’t control yourself.”

Emerald flinched away from him. Then she opened her mouth and screamed. She would always be grateful that being a cheerleader. That being the cheerleader captain made way for her to have strong lungs.

Her scream was cut off abruptly when a hand grasped her throat tightly. “Shut the fuck up,” she heard Jason hiss in her ear, but it was too late because she heard the sound of running feet heading in that direction. Not to mention the sound of a motorcycle zooming through the halls.

Emerald jumped out of the way just in time for the motorcyclist to burst the door and screech to a stop. She looked up with wide eyes as she saw Sapphire get off her motorcycle. And not the one that she drives to school every day. The motorcycle she only rides when its comes to serious business. When you’ve crossed a line, that you have no hoped for crossing back over. The line you’d be strangled with before shed give you another chance.

Behind her was the rest of the kingpin and she could feel the darkness inside of them pulse through the room and painting the walls black. She saw the way they all glanced over the room each looking as If they had just came from a previous fight before their eyes landed on her.

She thought she was her friends’ dark side, but this in front of her was something different. Something evil. Something demonic.

Emerald looked at all of them before her eyes stopped on Sapphire.

Sapphire looked at her in horror and pain and pity and regret. Emerald’s head swirled with all the different emotions running across the girl’s face. And then suddenly, she cut her emotions off and she was Sapphire no more. The girl turned abruptly.

Emerald has seen Sapphire’s other side plenty of times. She knew the girl could be down right malicious and frightening. She’s saw the way Sapphire was able to bend the darkness inside of her and around her to her will and use it like a weapon.

But one thing Emerald knew for sure as she stared at Sapphire… no, at Phire. Was that this girl before her was not her friend. That this girl before her was something else entirely.

Phire stood before Jason and Candace with her blank and inexpressive eyes staring death into the depth of their souls. Someway she was able to convey the promise of death into her expression even wen it hadn’t changed in the slightest. Her right arm was already dripping with blood.

And Emerald felt herself shiver when the girl finally reacted. Her features pulled into a ferocious snarl and her voice… oh her voice. It was the voice of every single evil being ever created and warped and disoriented into something a hundred times worse.

“Didn’t I tell you before to never come near Emerald again?”

“Sapphire,” Emerald whispered slightly scared of this new side to her friend. But Sapphire only raised a hand and suddenly she was being carried out by Joaquin. Joaquin who handed her off to one of the other girls of the serpents and led her out of the building. The last thing she heard was:

“They always said that I needed to let go of m control from time to time,” Phire laughed. “Now that you’re bleeding and looking terrified, I bet you’re regretting them suggesting it.”

\--

It was an hour later when everyone was walking back out of the building. She was surrounded by the Serpents waiting for the Kingpin to make their way out to take her to the hospital. She had refused to go anywhere without them.

She watched silently as one by one everyone left out but Sapphire. And then the screams started up. Screams loud enough to be heard on the outside. Loud and painful. Filled with agony.

It was a long time before the screams stopped abruptly.

Emerald watched Sapphire walk out of the building. Her smile was a bit too wide, a bit too cheerful, considering all the blood covering her body.

“Now that that’s over with… Lets get you to a hospital and then go get some milkshakes, yeah?”

Sapphire patted her head before turned around as Nathan walked her bike back out. “I’m gonna go take this home and I’ll meet you up there.”

Emerald was placed into the backseat of Fangs’ car before they were following the other Serpents’ bikes out. Emerald jumped in her seat as she heard something exploding and turning around to see the building she had just left out of exploded.

Emerald swore she heard the sound of laughter in the air as they rode further away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, my lovelies. I’ve been thinking it over and I’ve got this idea. If you want to see more of Southside’s Segments, then I’m looking for 4-5 writers and like 2 editors. I’ve talked it over with the Pod Squad and they like the idea also.  
> A few things about it:  
> 1) It’s basically like Keeping Up With Kardashians fanfiction. Not only will there be posts about what our darling Serpents (and Ghoulies) are up to, but you’ll also get to read about our OCs.   
> 2) They will all be “written” by Jughead Jones.   
> 3) Some posts will be connected to our stories. Like in Sweet Pea’s Sapphire, so you might end up seeing them twice.   
> 4) We’ll be taking “requests” about what you all would want to be updated on. Like for instance, if you wanted an update about Sapphire and how she is recovering, then “Jughead” will write a piece in the paper for you all.  
> But this can’t happen unless we get some writers and editors. You can all DM me if you have anymore questions or if you think you’re up for the job.


	10. |nine|

Emerald woke up to the sound of voices and to the sight of bags. The voices were what woke her up, but it was the bags that caught her attention. And it wasn’t not just any type of bags lying across her bed. No. She was talking about shopping bags covering her entire room.

Prada Bags. Bags from KARDASH. Dolce & Gabbana. Michael Kors. Kate Spade. Oscar de la Renta. Louis Vuitton.

Hell, there were even some bags that she couldn’t pronounce.

She looked around slowly taking in the dresses and shirts and pants and skirts from other high-end name brands hanging on whatever could hold them. Her mirror. The bedroom door. Her curtain rods.

“I’m just saying if we knock down this wall, we’ll be able to- “

“Did Emerald stop snoring?”

She gasped, “I don’t snore, Joaquin,” she called out, her voice still coated with sleep. Suddenly, a loud buzzer sound with off and the sound of thundering feet were heard. Emerald watched as Joaquin and Sapphire pop up from behind a wall of bags hanging in front of her closet as the rest of the Kingpin burst through her doors.

“Ems,” Toni cried out as she crashed into her. Sapphire following suit albeit more slowly. But the real kicker was Fangs pushing both girls into their boyfriends’ arms and picking Emerald up and smashing her into a hug.

“I thought I lost you for good,” he whispered.

There was a beat of silence as everyone processed his words before Sapphire cried out. “DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I SPENT ON THOSE HEELS!!”

Fangs jumped as Sapphire reached down to snatch a box of shoes from where his foot had crushed it. She glared at the boy stepping back a little to make sure that the shoes inside were unharmed.

Emerald wasn’t surprised to see them. She knew that it wouldn’t be long before they had kidnapped her from her house and brought her to the Kingpin. Her adopted father, Hog Eye, had been pretty adamant about her not having visitors regardless of who they were. The only people being allowed to see him, FP, the gang medic, Grammy and Mama Sweets, and Nana and Mama Fangs. It was the later two groups of women that doted on her at every turn and made sure the men complied to her every need. Grammy Sweets had brought her some of their family’s infamous soup and Emerald had had the absent thought that Sapphire would be jealous.

Nana Fangs wouldn’t even let her eat in peace insisting on feeding Emerald herself. And though where she hadn’t had any contact from her friends, she did have the pleasure of playing with their younger siblings. Sweet Peas younger triplet brothers that he and Sapphire dubbed Cerberus. And Fangs’ own baby brother that refused to be called anything other than Puppy until he was old enough to take on the name Scar.

(He wants it to be Scarface, so he can say the line “Say ‘ello to my ‘ittle friend” but that would require him holding a gun and Fangs’ has a strict Hell No, you can’t have a gun policy.)

She was up playing Mario Kart at all hours trying to desperately beat the little bunch of terrors and failing miserably. And she had only just managed to keep herself from tensing whenever one of the triplets mention how Sapphire would kill her in the game as she was the Mario Kart champ.

“Saph, why does my room look like your closet,” Emerald questioned, and Sapphire looked at her and smiled softly.

“My mom used to say that new clothes and shoes healed all wounds,” the girl murmured as she grabbed a covered bowl from under the masses of shopping bags and moved closer to Emerald. Sapphire perched herself on the side of the bed as Fangs lowered her back onto the bed.

Sapphire uncovered the food after Emerald had gotten comfortable and was handing her a tray to place over her lap.

Emerald didn’t know what possessed her to look down at her hands and say, “Candace and J-Jas… They, um, they told me that you scared their family away from Riverdale after she had played that prank on me.”

Sapphire hummed as she helped her fix the tray and food absently reaching for a box that held some imported wine. Emerald didn’t even know if the name of the bottle was even in English. She even pulled out a customized wine glass with her name embroidered into the design.

Neither girl paid attention to their friends as they found seats around the room taking care to dodge Sapphire’s various gifts.

Sapphire still hadn’t given Emerald any sign of confirmation.

“Did you,” Emerald inquired fiercely, and Sapphire’s eyes flickered up to hers. And Emerald hated that moment because she couldn’t read Sapphire. The other gem was usually so expressive unless her Phire side was taking over.

“I did,” Sapphire stated calmly. She had known the siblings had told Emerald of her actions. They yelled it out in-between their screams and pleads for her to spare them. But she hadn’t cared then and she doesn’t now. She knew what she had done, and she’d do it all again in a heartbeat. “Is there problem?”

Emerald looked down at the food before her twirling her spoon around in the Jamaican foot soup supplied from Nana Fangs. “Did you-They said their dad died. Did you, um, did you kill him?”

Something flashed across the other girl’s facial expression before it cleared away. Sapphire’s features turned unreadable as she looked away from Emerald. “Eat your soup.”

She didn’t want soup. She wanted answers.

“Sapphire,” she demanded. “Answer me.”

But Sapphire wouldn’t. Emerald saw the Sapphire’s fist clenched and the soft tremble that started to run through her, but she still pushed on.

“These gifts aren’t for me to feel better,” she hissed poisonously. “They’re just so you can clear your guilty conscious. Well I won’t be bought. You can’t buy my forgiveness, Sapphire.”

Everything was quiet around them. Their friends looked at them with wide eyes.

“Get out,” Emerald commanded. “I can’t stand the sight of you.”

Sapphire still didn’t say anything as she calmly stood, brushed the wrinkles out of her clothes, and walked out of the room with her head held high.

Tension was thick in the air before Joaquin and Sweet Pea were on their feet and moving to go check on their wayward jewel.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Emerald,” Joaquin told her as he followed Sweet Pea. Sweet Pea gave her a small smile before quickly leaving to find his girlfriend.

Toni and Jughead both were staring after Sapphire and awkwardly glancing at Emerald. A beep sounded on Toni’s phone before she was moving also. “Reggie’s here,” she stated before heading for the door. Jughead looked between Emerald and Fangs before he was scoffing and leaving the room muttering about sexual tension and happy that Emerald was back.

Fangs’ features had slipped into a scowl at the mention of Reggie and scooted away from her a little. He avoided eye contact as he wondered how could he talk to her. “You were gone for three days, Emmy.”

“It was the worse three days of my life. I can’t imagine how bad it was for you. Everyone was going crazy. They had to put the school on lock down and close it for the remaining week. Uh, we all went on a rampage when we heard that someone took you.”

\--

_“Sapphire,” Fangs heard gasped out catching his breath. He and the others all turned to look at the northsider. The boy that Emmy had an obvious crush on. The one she had got onto the football team. Fangs wouldn’t admit to himself that he was jealous. How could he be? He couldn’t like Emerald in that way? Could he? Sapphire walked over to the boy and tilted her head to the side._

_“Reginald,” she questioned. “I don’t know where Ems is.”_

_The boy, Reginald, shook his head almost reaching out to pull on her hand but thought better of it. A good idea to as Fangs could see Sweet Pea tensing and glaring as his eyes zeroed in on that movement. Reginald straightened up and boldly looked Sapphire the eye. Fangs and the others stepped forward. A part of him acknowledge that the Northie might not know looking Sapphire in the eye was also administrating a challenge to her authority. She only let it slide with the other kingpin members and certain members of her den. “Someone took her.”_

_They all stiffened. Fangs’ heart stopped. Someone took Emerald? Someone dared to lay a hand onto his Emmy? His gem? He could feel the darkness in him snarling and clawing for release. Demanding to be let free and coating the world in its wake._

_“What do you mean took her?” He heard Sapphire growl._

_The boy shifted on his feet, “She had asked me to wait for her after her cheer practice, but the other girls said she never showed. So, I was on my way here to her locker when I saw these bloody emeralds littering the floor outside of the locker room. It was like someone just poured them all out…”_

_“…But the emeralds were spread out to say, ‘Got your gem’. I came here as soon as I saw it.”_

_Reginald had barely managed to get his words out before the darkness exploded out of them. Inwardly, Fangs could hear an inhuman screech of rage and murder. The darkness wrapped around him like snapped squeezing and squeezing until the coolness of Fangs was gone and the only thing that mattered was vengeance. Was pain. A promise to raise hell and rain chaos down onto his enemies._

_Fangs could only watch as Phire snatched up Reginald’s wrist and pulled him down the hall towards the girl’s locker room. He followed behind them with the other kingpin members all snarling and growling and glaring as their own inner darkness took over them. Struggling with trying to contain it. It had been a long time coming before they let this side of them reign free without restraints. Without some semblance of control. Fuck, the aftermath of this was going to be a bitch. Fangs could already imagine the killer headache he would be nursing._

_He felt the shift in the air. Something that promised revenge and pain and death. Something pure and undeniably evil. Something tainted by forces darker than anything ever imagined. And glared harshly at anyone that looked at them for too long. He inwardly smirked at the sight of teachers and students running into classrooms and locking doors. As if that would keep them out. As if that could stop them._

_Sapphire’s Den followed behind them waiting for orders and keeping the Northsiders at bay as they tried to run forward towards their fellow friend. He could see the absolute fear in Ronnie’s eyes as she looked at him._

_This is the life he had warned her about. The life he tried to persuade her from and when she didn’t listen, the life he tried to prepare her for._

_As the evilness warped around him like armor, he could hear the familiar sound of Toni’s camera flashing, welcomed the sound of Sweet Pea’s rings and his brace knuckles hitting flesh, he felt the shiver roll down his spine at Emerald’s chilling laugh, the familiar sound of a table breaking under Sapphire’s chosen enemy, the whirl of a motorcycle mainly from Jughead and Joaquin racing and knocking down their foes like bowling pins, the whoosh from a deposit as Sapphire got rid of those that simple threats didn’t work on._

_Fangs could see that the darkness in the air was attacking the boy that Sapphire was dragging. Poisoning his thoughts and giving him the same edge the rest of them had. Making him one with them. And Fangs could admit that he didn’t like that. This was the same boy that Emerald was choosing over him and now the very thing that made Fangs a serpent prince was choosing him too? Unacceptable._

_He saw that they were closing in on the area where Sapphire’s den and other members of the Serpents were already in the process of blocking the area off. Jughead snarled before he was moving away slightly more than likely going to call FP. Whatever this was just turned bigger. This was no longer just some stupid prank. They took one of the girls. One of the princesses. One of the gems._

_This was war. And may Fates be kind to them for when the Serpents got a hand on them._

_The Northsider crumbled to the ground and Sapphire didn’t even spare him a glance as the boy Dacre moved in towards Sapphire. He was holding onto a table and whatever was on it had Sapphire giving even more control to Phire blacking out from reality as she grabbed the tablet and hurled down the hall. The sound of it cracking was rang loudly throughout the hallways._

_The boys from her den grabbed onto the Northsider before picking him and trying to lead him away. Fangs may not like the boy, but even he can admit to not wanting him close to Phire as she went berserk._

_“FIND THEM. I WANT THEIR FUCKING HEADS ON STAKE RIGHT NOW,” the girl screeched. Her rage was prominent. It was untouchable. No one wanted to get close in fear of setting the girl off anymore, but one unlucky bastard moved just an inch in the wrong direction. The dagger Fangs had once gifted her as present immediately went flying and the boy just managed to duck.  She needed to calm down but as she twisted in their direction, they knew that they were in for a long ride._

_Her eyes. Oh, her eyes were soulless. They could read nothing from her. They only managed to get a clear understanding of the demonic rage pouring out of her because they could feel it too. Hers threatening to overtake them all._

_“What are you looking at,” she hissed dangerously. “Find out where the fuck Candace and Jason Willis are right this instant. Or I. will. kill. You. All.”_

_As most of them immediately scattered, Fangs watched as the rage leaking out of Phire engulf Toni. And damn, if that wasn’t enough to sober the boys up just a little. Just enough to restrain the girls until FP and Tall Boy and Hog Eye got there to take them all away. It gave them just enough control for them to move until they could get to the berserker rooms and let their dark sides run wild._

_Toni had become Paz and Sapphire had become Phire and both girls stared at the boys. Paz had a small quirk to her lips and Phire just looked at them blankly._

_“Here, in this building, dark and deep. I offer you eternal sleep,” Paz mocked as her feet carried her forward. Phire followed and the boys managed to keep themselves together and stand strong._

_“Here, in this building, dark and deep. I offer you eternal sleep,” Paz repeated before she struck out. Jughead and Joaquin immediately moved to restrain her, but Paz proved how quick and nimble she was easily dodging their hands and landing a solid punch in Joaquin’s face. Fangs and Sweet Pea tried not to look. They had to be prepared for Phire to move, but the other girl only watched Paz and the others blankly._

_“Here, in this building, dark and deep. I offer you eternal sleep,” Paz called out before she was twisting around and swinging her backpack into Sweet Pea’s face. The taller boy immediately grabbed the bag and reached out to grab her arms as Jughead wrapped his arms around her waist. But Paz kicked out her feet pushing her and Jughead away and landing harshly on the floor._

_A scream erupted behind them and they all spun around to the side of Phire viciously attacking anyone in her path. Regular students. Teachers. Ghoulies. Northsiders. Other serpents. She went after them all._

_“Find my gem now,” she snarled as her fists swung out in all directions connecting with anything she could find._

_Fangs couldn’t actually remember what happened after that._

\--

_When he came back to himself, he was in one of the berserker rooms Sapphire had added to Stone Manor. His knuckles were bleeding and his head felt like it was about to explode from the headache. He had been lying on his side, but when he straightened up, he noticed immediately the other kingpin members in their own rooms._

_Sapphire and Sweet Pea had their arms locked down. Even in their still conscious states, the two were still scowling though Sweet Pea’s was disappearing. Sapphire though was trembling lightly in her sleep and he knew that she was still battling with her own darkness. Joaquin was already awake and was holding his head in his hands no doubt feeling the after effects himself. Jughead and Toni were still fast asleep though Toni looked as if she would soon be waking up._

_Fangs groaned as he stretched, and his body screamed in protest. Yes, he could still feel the tension coursing through his veins. Joaquin rose his head to look at him and gave him a nod of acknowledgement. Man, they felt like shit._

_Another minute passed before his nana and mother were walking into the room. They placed the food and drinks they were carrying down onto the table in the middle before heading in his direction when they noticed that he was awake._

_“How are you feeling,” his nana asked him, and Fangs smiled tiredly at her. “Could be better.”_

_The two women nodded and chuckled before his mother went over to check on Joaquin. It wasn’t long before they were being let out their cubicles. FP and Tall Boy, who had come in to let them out, immediately grabbed onto them as their knees buckled. The men led them over to the table to eat and both boys were immediately given big plates of food to eat._

_And then:_

_“HOW CAN YOU JUST SIT THERE AND RELAX WHEN EMS IS MISSING,” they heard and they all flinched at the sight of Phire awoke. None had noticed when she woke but the girl was quickly losing her sense of self. The light tremble from before was stronger now and FP made his way over to her. He pressed a hand to the glass and Phire snarled in his direction. The girl paused a brief look of horror and self-disgust flickered across her features before they smoothed back out._

_“Ria,” FP stated fiercely, and the girl flinched back. “Calm down. We’re going to find her.”_

_She stared at him for a moment neither breaking eye contact before she slowly nodded her head. She sat back down on the bed in the small cubicle and laid down. The after effects were going to be horrible._

_Joaquin struggled to stand but when he did, he slowly made his way over to his sister’s cubicle and sat down in front of it. She rose her head to look at him and gave him a small smile as she lost the unreadable expression on her face._

_Fangs nodded his head before turning back to his own food. His nana barely let him clean half of his plate before she was filling it right back up. She pets his hair and wiped away the dried blood on his fist while his mother worked out the knots in his muscles._

_It was another half hour before Grammy and Mama Sweets came in for Sweet Pea who was slowly waking up himself. FP and Tall Boy went to his side quickly and helped him over to the table. Fangs took note of the worried look in Sapphire’s eyes as Sweet Pea was moved. But the girl only moved into a more comfortable position after Sweet Pea sent her a reassuring smile._

_She went back to sleep and everyone was quiet as the somber mood settled over them. When everyone awoke and calmed and taken care of, then they would begin making moves to find Emmy. Any hesitation would be met with terrifying force._

\--

_They were in a meeting at the Whyte Worm two days later when Chase Briefs stumbled in. The boy hadn’t even managed to finish his initiation, but Fangs swore at that moment he could’ve easily been giving a spot in their ranks._

_He had found out where Emmy had been taken._

_An old warehouse near the edge of the Southside heading towards Greendale. Chase had been on his way to Greendale when he saw Jason leaving out of there. He quickly turned around and headed back to tell them instead._

_Hog Eye hugged the boy tightly before telling him to stay back and watch over the bar while the rest of them all sped off towards the direction. Sapphire didn’t spare any glances to anyone as she jumped onto deVil and drove off. The rest of the kingpin followed behind her._

_When they had made it, no one knew where to start looking. But Jughead quickly took over commanding people to split up into groups and search for their missing princess. It wasn’t until a scream. A very familiar scream erupted from middle right hallway of the building did everyone move. Sapphire hadn’t even bothered getting off of deVil before she was speeding through the doors of the building heading in that direction._

_They all chased after her and none of them blinked when she barreled right through the doors of one of the rooms. They had all frozen at the sight of Emerald. Covered in blood. Her face covered in a white substance. Her hair was in shambles. Her arms looked bruised and her face looked swollen. Not to mention, they could all see the way she winced with every little movement._

_They were dead. Those fuckers were so dead._

_For the second time in short span of three days, they all let their other sides take over. But now, seeing Emerald in such a way. The baby of the kingpin. Their other side was something different. Something evil. Something demonic._

_Fangs watched as Phire abruptly turned away._

_Fangs has seen Sapphire’s other side plenty of times. He knew the girl could be downright wicked and terrifying. He’s witness the way Sapphire was able to bend the darkness inside of her and around her to her will and use it like a weapon._

_But this side of Phire was something completely different than what he was used to._

_She stood before Jason and Candace with her blank and inexpressive eyes staring death into the depth of their souls. Someway she was able to convey the promise of their demise into her expression even when it hadn’t changed in the slightest. Her right arm was already dripping with blood from where she had gotten into a fight earlier at the Whyte Worm._

_And Fangs calmly watches when the girl finally reacted. Her features pulled into a ferocious snarl and her voice… oh her voice. It was the voice of every single evil being ever created and warped and disoriented into something a hundred times worse._

_“Didn’t I tell you before to never come near Emerald again?”_

_“Sapphire,” he heard Emerald whisper. A part of him wondered would Phire abandon her quest for vengeance at the obvious fear in Emerald’s voice. But Sapphire only raised a hand and suddenly Emerald was being carried out by Joaquin. Joaquin who handed her off to one of the other girls of the serpents and led her out of the building._

_“They always said that I needed to let go of m control from time to time,” Phire laughed. “Now that you’re bleeding and looking terrified, I bet you’re regretting them suggesting it.”_

_Candace and Jason scrambled away from her before Candace stood up. “Do your worst, Sapphire. It doesn’t even matter we already shattered your little gem.”_

_“Did you now,” Phire questioned. “But you see life is always rocky when you’re a gem.”_

_She moved forward slowly. Her usually blank eyes turned sharp and dangerous. And wicked. “Close your eyes, count to seven, when you wake, we’ll be in heaven,” she sang softly._

_“Go to hell,” Jason spat. And Phire laughed, “Oh, honey. Where do you think I came from?”_

_She moved closer and with a soft incline to her head and they followed after. Small smug smirks and smiles appeared on their faces as the siblings backed away._

_And then, the kingpin disappeared._

_Each of them watched from where they were hiding as the siblings looked around in confusion. Jason began dragging Candace near the door but Jughead kicked the closed. The siblings jumped back and looked around before another laugh rang out into the air._

_“In unity, there is strength,” Sweet Pea said aloud._

_“In unity, there is strength,” they repeated. Their voices echoing off the walls in every direction. More laughter exploded from them as they watched how tightly the siblings clutched to each other._

_“Here, in this building, dark and deep. I offer you eternal sleep,” Paz sang as she moved around the room. The sounds of her steps bouncing off the walls alongside Sapphire’s as she started to move too._

_“Close your eyes, count to seven, when you wake, we’ll be in heaven,” Phire recited again. All of their eyes were on the siblings taking in delight in the way they trembled._

_“Jason Willis,” Jughead started. “You broke one of the laws of the Serpents. How do you plead?”_

_“I was never really a serpent,” Jason spat. “So not guilty.”_

_“You bore our emblem. You wore our jacket. You know our laws. You completed missions for us,” Joaquin called out. “Oh, you may say you’re not a serpent but that tattoo on your arm says otherwise.”_

_“No. No. Joaquin,” Jughead stated. “Let’s show him that tattoo doesn’t make him a serpent.”_

_“Let me do the honors,” Phire stated. “After all, it’s my fault for not making sure to get rid of them completely._

_“Alright,” Jughead stated softly.  “You can. Everyone else? Let’s go.”_

_All of them reappeared in the view of the siblings before walking out. The only thing that signaled that Phire was still there was the way the tension and the darkness inside of her began to move around._

_“Phire,” Fangs called out when he made it to the door. He turned towards the girl who rose her head to look at him. A dark smirk danced along his face before he said, “Make it good.” The girl laughed lightly before her eyes went back to the siblings._

_“Of course, Fangs,” she replied. “Candace? Jason? Let’s play a game.”_

\--

_Sapphire watched the proceedings go down in the back of her mind. She had given all of her control to Phire knowing that the other girl would wreck the vengeance they oh so desired. These vermin had the audacity to harm her gem sister again? They were going to make them wish that they had killed them alongside their father._

_“You all took something that belongs to me,” Phire stated with a slight tilt to their head. “I don’t like when take my belongings.”_

_Jason had the audacity to laugh now that it was just the three. As if they had even the slightest chance of surviving against them. Two against one? Ha! The odds were definitely not in the siblings’ favor. “Yours? She’s not yours! No, Emerald is all mines. Not yours. Definitely not Fangs. You know when you see him, tell him that I tried her out for him. Tell him I recommend it one hundred percent. She was always so gorgeous when we were younger and even more so now. I just couldn’t help myself.”_

_The disgusting brat licked his lips as walked forward a little. “Oh, you should’ve heard her moans. Her screams. They were all just as beautiful and delicious as she is. The feeling of her tight pussy wrapped around my dick. The way her walls pulled me in and her juices covered me. It was all so wonderful really. You should go get her. I’ll happily show you the scene again.”_

_Phire balled their fists up. “I think I’ll pass,” they looked over at Candace. “Anything you have to say before I begin my fun?”_

_Candace recoiled a little at being spoken to before she was tilting her head up with confidence and an insane little smile was crossing her features. “Mm. Oh yes, you should have seen the little bitches’ face when we told her what you did. No wonder you two are friends. She’s the Bulldog’s bitch and you’re the Serpent slut. How fitting. But I thought with how close all of you are in your group you would’ve told her how you killed our father. But no worries, we did it for you.”_

_Phire gritted their teeth at the insulting and dehumanizing names. “Is that all?”_

_The siblings looked at each other. A little confused onto why they weren’t backing down but before they could speak again, they struck. Her favorite dagger, a beautiful gift from Fangs, slipped into her hands before she was swinging the weapon across Jason’s face. They took pleasure in their screams of shock and cries of outrage. As Jason’s hands flew up to his wounded face, they tackled Candace to the ground. The dagger easily sliding across the other girl’s breast and tore through the skin. Her screams of pain only served to fuel Phire more._

_Their senses went into overdrive and they rolled out of the way as Jason made to tackle them, but instead landed harshly on his sister. Phire jumped up and tackled the boy to the ground her right fist connecting harshly with boys’ face. They turned around quickly and slammed Candace’s face right back into the ground. Phire turned back to Jason and their head snapped to the side as his fist made contact with their face before they were screaming in outrage and suddenly, their fists were raining down on his face. They were yanked back by their hair as Candace got up, but their left hand swiped out and cut the girl’s leg and rolled out of the way as Candace let them go._

_Phire stood up slowly watching them before they disappeared into the shadows. They sprinted around the room a few times watching in delight as the siblings looked around cautiously before they made their presence known again as they walked briskly back into their direction. Phire hurled one of Sweet Pea’s spare switch blades at Candace and her aim was impeccable as it sank into the girl’s thigh before they once again tackled Jason to the ground._

_“You dared put your filthy low life dick near Emerald,” Phire snarled. Their dagger glinting in the lowlight before they were swiping it harshly across the boy’s crotch hearing his screams of pain as the sharp edge sliced the flesh gently. “I’ll make sure you never fuck anyone else again.”_

_Their ears picked up the sound of Candace scream of pain and the clang of the switchblade hitting the ground. Phire immediately stabbed the dagger into Jason’s dick before they turned and managed to dodge Candace jumping at them._

_“Close your eyes, count to seven, when you wake, we’ll be in heaven,” they sang darkly as they made their way to the other girl. Candace scrambled back when she realized that with Jason still screaming in absolute agony behind them, she wouldn’t be getting any help at all. Phire pulled out another one of Sweet Pea’s spare switch blades as they close in on the girl._

_“Here in this building, dark and deep. I offer you eternal sleep,” they repeated Paz’s words from earlier. They relished in the fear on the girl’s face._

_“Please. Don’t do this,” Candace cried. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Please.”_

_But Phire ignored her. This girl took their sister. This girl traumatized their sister. Oh, this bitch was going to pay. “Please. Don’t do this. We’ll leave. We wont bother any of you again.”_

_Phire nodded. “You’re right. You won’t bother us again.” And with Jason still crying out in pain behind them, Phire attacked. The switchblade sunk easily into the soft meat of the girl’s breasts and Phire smiled when the girl screamed. The blade was pulled downwards before being ripped out of the skin and plunge right into the opposite the breast. Oh, they were going to have some fun with this._

_Their eyes caught sight of some chains not too far away and Phire stood up to get them. Moving calmly with all of the time in the world._

_“You’re psychotic,” Candace screamed out at them. And Phire scoffed, “I prefer the term creative,” as they gathered up the chains. They turned to see the girl trying to crawl over to brother. Phire tsked. Ah, can’t have that. And besides, it’s not like the boy will live much longer._

_“How about a demon,” Candace cried out even as Phire made their way back dragging the chains behind them._

_“Mm. I’ve been to hell and back, sweetheart. I’ve spoke to my demons and even embraced them. This? This is nothing. And frankly, you’re starting to bore me. And we can’t have that, now can we?”_

_Candace started to cry just a little harder and her cries were music to their ears. “You know, the devil had asked me how I knew my way around the halls of hell. But how could I not when I know the darkness of so well.”_

_Phire reached out for the girl twisting her ankle slightly when she tried to kick out before chaining her up. They moved again this time to the other ends of the chains before yanking the girl into the air._

_They stared up at the girl swinging in the air before blandly saying, “Oh, lookie, I’ve lost control again. Oh well.”_

_Phire turned and head back towards Jason who’s screams were dimming but rose once again in volume when they yanked the dagger out. “Oh, you insufferable buffoon. You should’ve known this would happen the second you started your bullshit.”_

_And then they cut his dick completely off letting his screams wash over him. A dark smile made its way to their face as they leant down._

_“I poison your father. I was the one to kill him. It was me. What made you possibly think that I was going to spare you if you crossed me?”_

_Phire laughed, “You’ll never get rid of me. I’ll always be there. Even in hell, sitting on a throne next to Lucifer himself. I will always be there. Even now, after I kill you, I will plague your mind and even more so after that. I will always be there. You’ll never get rid of me.”_

_Jason tried to choke down his screams. He wanted to. He needed to say something. But he didn’t get the chance before the dagger was slicing his throat opened and a blade was piercing his heart._

_Phire stood up slowly and turned to Candace who was screaming and pleading for them to not kill her brother. And then screaming for her to be spared. But the siblings hurt their sister. They had to pay and if it was with their life, then oh well._

_They walked over to the other girl and smiled up at her. “You know, I always wanted a piñata for my birthday. And I was told that I got a mean swing.”_

\--

Fangs shook his head as he came back to reality and opened his mouth to tell her. To tell her what he was feeling. But the second he did, the Northsider was knocking on the door.

“Meri,” he whispered like a broken man. And Fangs watched the way Emerald lit up. He watched the way she relaxed in presence and a smile overtake her features. And his heart crushed a little. He should have known. He was finally going to tell her how he felt. Explain to her the confusing feelings he felt towards her and hopefully give her some insight on his actions. But it was obvious he had missed his chance.

“I’ll give you two some privacy,” he muttered as he got up and left. He doubted the two of them even heard him or cared to acknowledge his exist as he left out the room. His feet led him to the living room of the kingpin where he found the rest of his friends. Sapphire was huddled into Sweet Pea’s embrace as her legs where stretched out over Joaquin’s lap. She was staring blankly at the wall.

Everyone else looked up at him as he walked in. Each taking in the frustrated look on his face.

“I’m guessing you didn’t tell her,” Toni stated, and Fangs huffed and shook his head.

“Nah,” he replied as he sat down in the recliner. “It’s like when Reggie came in, the world was so much brighter. Fuck, I never stood a chance against him, did I?”

And Sapphire laughed cruelly and bitterly and mockingly, “That’s the sad part- you did once. You fucked that up yourself.”

“At least, I can still have her as friend,” he snapped, and Sapphire turned to him quickly. She glared heatedly at him.

“Are you so sure,” she mocked. “Do you think she’d want to continue to be your friend when she starts dating and loving him? You’re lucky she still waned to be friends with you after all of your pining after Veronica.”

“You know it wasn’t like that,” he snarled back. “Besides, I’m sure she’d want to still be my friend. Better than being friends with the girl that was the reason she got kidnapped.”

Sapphire growled and jumped up, “Better than being the reason she got raped! Oh, Jason told me to tell you that he recommends her. That he tried her out for you. That he just couldn’t help himself.”

“That’s enough you two,” Jughead demanded but he went unheard as Fangs yelled out, “You murdered their father and they took it out on Emmy. Nothing you can say can justify that.”

And Sapphire screamed in outrage. “You’re right! I did kill him!. Because Phillip Willis was an emotionally, physically, mentally, and sexual abuser. Not to mention the man was a pedophile on top of that. That family? That family is more messed up than any of Riverdale’s history…”

“…Phillip Willis abused his wife and children daily. And you know what else? When she became a Serpent, the asshole was planning to take her in. That was right after Candace put dead snakes and bloody emeralds in her room. So, I paid off the agency and got her placed with Hog Eye. And I ran them out of town…”

“…And no, I didn’t stop there. I kept an eye on them. He kept finding jobs that would bring them back close to Riverdale and I kept him away. And then one day, he got hired at one of my buildings. I watched him and that’s when the sexual harassment complaints started pouring in. He got fired by the head of his department before I could even get my hands on him…”

“…Then they moved to a quiet town in Mississippi. Unfortunately for them, that same town had a small and upcoming business that I wanted. So, I took a trip there. I was on my way to meet with the owner when I saw Phillip stalking a young girl to the bus stop. Calling out to her. Licking his lips as he stared at her…”

“…That’s when I made the promise to get rid of him. Imagine my surprise when I did even more research into their life to know that he was doing the same thing to his wife and kids. The man was sick. He made Jason and Candace fuck each other and he watched with a smile on his face. He made videos of it all. Whenever they wouldn’t listen to him, he’d either beat the hell out of their mother or rape her…”

“…So, when he got off from work, I followed him and ambushed him at a gas station. Slipped a little something into his bloodstream and sent him on home.”

Sapphire’s eyes turned dark and hardened. Tension filled the air as Phire tried to break through. “I killed their father and I don’t care. I’d do it all again. I will do anything to protect you all no matter how extreme it may be. Damn the consequences.”

Everyone watched as Sapphire turned and stormed out the room anger and tension slipping out of her in waves. A small tremble could be seen running through her as she tried to contain herself and keep from going berserk.

“Well, that went well,” Sweet Pea mocked before he was walking out to go and comfort his girlfriend. He held no doubt that she wasn’t a second away from tearing shit up.


	11. |ten|

Emerald barely noticed Fangs leaving out of the room. Her eyes were welling up with tears. Reggie. He went to her friends. He helped saved her.

“Meri,” he repeated, and Emerald slowly stood up. “Regs,” she whispered. He rushed forward immediately and pulled her into a hug. She tensed quickly nowhere near ready to be touched by another guy, but this… this was Reggie. Her Pup. He wouldn’t hurt her.

“I thought I lost you,” he mumbled still holding onto her. “Fuck, there was so much blood.” Emerald hesitantly wrapped her arms around him and rubbed a hand on his back. “Hey, I’m okay. Mostly.”

He pulled back from the hug and looked at her face, “You’re alive is all that I’m grateful for.” Reggie must have noticed the uncomfortable look she wore on her face because suddenly, he was an arm’s reach away from her. He looked awkwardly around the room before doing a double-take and noticing all the things surrounding her room.

“Uh, what’s all of this,” he inquired with a rose brow. Emerald snorted as she looked at Sapphire’s guilty bags. “Ooh, are those Swarovski studded chocolates?”

He pulled out a box from under some of the bags on her desk and opened it to reveal chocolates and jewelry. He handed her a piece and popped another piece of candy in his mouth. “I haven’t had one of these in forever. My mom claimed to have stop getting them when she went on this crazy health binge. Said it made her feel closer to me since I try to watch what I eat for football. But I know she still secretly buys two boxes every two months.”

Emerald hesitated. She didn’t want to anything that Sapphire was using to make herself feel better about killing someone in Emerald’s name, but Reggie was looking at her expectantly. She ate the chocolate and she could immediately see just why Sapphire picked them out. They were delicious.

 “Gosh, how much are these? I might go buy some for myself,” she groaned as she reached for more.

“Ten thousand dollars,” he replied, and Emerald choked. Ten thousand dollars for a box of candy that was admittedly great, but hell, HERSHEY bars were too, and she’d be damned if she paid more than a $1.79 plus tax for just one bar.

“Are you telling me that Sapphire actually paid ten thousand dollars for a box of chocolate,” Emerald stated absently licking the chocolate off her fingers, but still not stopping from reaching for another. “What the hell? Chocolate shouldn’t even be that high! What do they make it out of? An angel’s laugh?”

Reggie laughed himself and shook his head. “What’s funny, Pup?”

“Nothing, its just… you’re friends with the Sapphire Stone. I’m just trying to figure out why are you so surprised by the price of things? You’d think she’d be throwing money at you left to right. She’s blows money off like she’s blowing bubbles. Chocolates are actually the least prestigious thing she’s bought.”

Emerald rose a brow,” You seem to know her well despite the fact that you two only met through me.”

Reggie shook his head, “I knew of her and not just about from when we were kids. We run in some of the same circles when we have to go off and play rich kid. There was this time… I think it was her thirteenth birthday party? She rode into the building on an actual horse drawn carriage. Everyone was dressed as Disney characters. I mean Minnie and Mickey Mouse. Oswald, the Rabbit. Princess Jasmine and Aladdin. Hell, I think someone even dressed up as Tic-Tock Croc. Either way, she rents out the Disneyland for the whole week of her birthday and when the day came, she declared that she was only going to dance with everyone dressed as Aladdin and for each third person, she would dance with another character. We all went home with diamond encrusted goodie bags all with our names embroidered in them. She had this huge ice sculpture made of herself. So, yeah, the chocolates are the least of the craziness that she’s spent money on. If I’m not mistaken, I believed it was her party that introduced my mom to them.”

Emerald didn’t know what to say to that. A part of her did know that Sapphire could be slightly eccentric especially when her rich persona came into play. Renting out an amusement park isn’t the most outrageous thing she had heard about her. At least, Emerald does remember Sapphire making the offhand comment about buying some old building and turning it into a teen club. And she’s pretty sure the girl had already got the plans drawn up.

Emerald hummed and grabbed another piece of chocolate before a chime went off and she scowled. Reggie rose a brow, “What’s that?”

“That is Sapphire being petty. It’s the lunch bell,” she scoffed as she stood up and made her way out of the room with Reggie following. “You’re going to have lunch with us or are you gonna go home?”

Reggie, once out of the room, took note of the different doors on the floor. Each door seemed to have something that just represented the room owner. Emerald’s door had the quote of “ _Fiction reveals truths that reality obscures”._ A part of him would’ve thought that would have been on Sapphire’s door but hers says, “ _Tony Stark’s Daughter_ ”. Toni’s door had a camera artfully carved into the door with the quote, “ _I shoot people for a living_ ” surrounding it. The boys were a little harder to distinguish, but if the tags of “ _Jughead was here_ ” and “ _Fangstastic_ ” and “ _Wayne_ _Pain_ ” and “ _Toni Awards_ ” and “ _Saph No Phire_ ” and crudely drawn tacos and “ _Say Cheese, Jones_ ”. It was easy to tell the Sapphire’s room was in between Sweet Pea’s ( _Jughead was here_ ) and Joaquin’s (tacos) and Fangs’ door was in between Emerald’s and Toni’s with Jughead’s on the other side of Toni.

Emerald caught him looking at the doors and snorted, “Sapphire carve the tacos on Quin’s door because he bought tacos home from their parents and didn’t share. Jughead put his words on Sweet Pea’s door after Sweet Pea wrote on his. Toni liked it so she and Jughead ended up redoing it for ‘aesthetic’ purposes. Fangs is just really bad with puns. Once it became clear that we were decorating our doors, we just ran with it.”

Reggie noticed the look in her eye when she said Fangs’ name. He hummed thoughtfully. That was something to investigate. “Yeah, I’ll have lunch with you guys.”

She shot him a smile and led through the halls until they came to the living room. All eyes shot to them when they entered, and Reggie could easily feel the tension sparking in the air as Emerald and Sapphire looked at each other before the latter proudly raised her chin, rolled her eyes, and turned away.

“Hey, Northsider,” Toni smiled at him passing one of the plates to Joaquin. Sapphire had changed from the clothes she had been wearing earlier when she slammed the front door open and actually fucking _growled_ at him. Now she was in a pair of sweatpants and slightly messy pants with her hair pulled into a ponytail. She was pressed against Sweet Pea’s chest who had changed into a pair of sweatpants. As he looked around, he noticed how all of them were dressed similar.

“Here,” Reggie heard from behind him to see Fangs walking in and holding a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. “These are SP’s, so you gotta return them before you go, or he’ll whine like a little bitch.”

Reggie heard a scoff behind before Sweet Pea said, “Think you got me mixed up with you, dude.” A smirk flashed across Fangs’ face as Reggie grabbed the clothes out of his hand. Fangs waved his hand to another door, “Bathroom’s that way,” then he walked and took a seat on a recliner.

When Reggie emerge in the new clothing, he went to the living room and paused in the doorway. While it was easy to see the tension between them, it was also insanely easy to see them as who they were. As actual teenagers and not young thugs and criminals. They were joking and throwing pieces of food at each other. Smiles were on their faces and their laughter rang out as Joaquin tickled Sapphire’s sides as she screams _Uncle!_ with Sweet Pea carefully holding her squirming figure. He almost didn’t want to enter and ruin this scene except Jughead had turned and caught his eye. A small smile was on the Serpent Heir’s face as he nodded his head at Reggie.

He walked slowly into the room and all of their heads turned to him before all except Emerald went back to ignoring him.  He made his way to the seat beside Emerald who handed him a plate of sandwiches and a soda bottle.

“Its Sweet Pea’s turn to pick,” Toni called out while Emerald pouted, “Shouldn’t I be able to pick since I missed my days?”

The rest of them snorted, “You know that only works if you were out on a mission or dead. Kidnappings and hospital stays don’t count,” Joaquin reminded her. Emerald sighed dramatically while Sweet Pea flickered through their Netflix account until it finally landed on the Charmed series. Judging by the pleased smile on Sapphire’s face, he chose it for her. Reggie watched as she mumbled something under her breath and Sweet Pea scrolled through the series until he got to season six. She smirked as she settled even more into his embrace. Sweet Pea pressed a kissed to her forehead as everyone else got comfortable. Sapphire snapped her fingers and the lights dimmed and the show started playing.

Reggie wasn’t all that surprise to see that they talked through the episode. The commentary between Fangs and Sapphire was amusing though.

( _“Now, an island full of badass half-naked women, that’s a heaven I can get behind,” Fangs stated watching as Piper and the Valkyries kicked ass._

_“This is where honorable and powerful soldiers go. I don’t see anything honorable or powerful about you, Fogarty.”_

_And_

_“Why is life so boring all of a sudden,” Fangs complained from his spot as he too watched the Halliwell sisters. “Is this what we have to do now? Watching bad shows on tv?”_

_“Fangs, dude, mi amigo, I love you but if you ever speak down on the wonders that is Charmed again, I will kill you,” Sapphire spoke seriously not even sparing him a glance. Everyone else chuckled at their antics.)_

“I’d be a badass witch,” Toni shrugged. “I think I’d be like Phoebe.”

“Emerald would be more like Paige,” Jughead snickered.

“Yeah well, you’d be like Cole from the earlier seasons,” she shot back. “And Paige was badass herself.”

Fangs’ furrowed his brow, “Didn’t he end up dead. Vanished. Went poof?”

They all laughed when Joaquin turned to his sister, “So who do you think you’d be?” She side eyed him and shrugged, “Out of Phoebe and Piper. More so Phoebe ‘cause I can’t cook for shit, but also Piper since I talked Birdie into sponsoring the club. It’s gonna be called _Eclipse_.”

The rest of the Kingpin nodded their heads approvingly, before they went back to watching their show.

\--

It was an hour or two later when each of them stood up from their spots before they went their separate ways. Emerald pulled Reggie up, but before they could move Sweet Pea laid a hand on his shoulder and gave him a look. Emerald chuckled as she pulled him away.

“Go change back into your clothes. SP doesn’t like sharing,” she mock-whispered. Reggie heard amused scoffs coming from both Sapphire and Sweet Pea as they walked out of the room. He watched as Sweet Pea pressed his lips against her hand as the two of them left.

“They’re like something out of romance movie,” Reggie told Emerald. She huffed and smiled a little. “They went through a lot to be together. Almost lost each other. They also keep each other’s head on straight. Keep them grounded. I don’t think anyone can imagine the two without each other.”

Reggie looked at her, “You make them sound like soulmates.”

Emerald shrugged, “Wouldn’t be surprised if they were. Now go. Go. Back into your own clothes.”

Reggie gave a nod and walked out of the room. He quickly changed back into his clothes before walking out and finding Emerald waiting in the hall for him. He held the borrowed clothes out to her and she grabbed them while motioning for him to follow her.

“Chase texted me just then. He told me how Sapphire sent him some notes to go over for our class assignment. Sent them to him because apparently he was the only one who wasn’t going to make her sick with affection,” she stated off-handily as they walked into a washing room. There were baskets of dirty clothes lining across one wall and baskets of clean clothes lining the other. Each basket was sorted by name and the clothes were even separated.

“Why do you all have these many baskets,” he questioned instead of replying about their classwork. Which he had completely forgot with her being missing and hospitalized and all of that.

“Fangs’ and SP’s grandmothers both come over and do our laundry when we stare here instead of our houses. We tried to stop them at first, but they didn’t want to listen, so we eventually decided to make it easier for them.”

She shrugged as if that was common knowledge. Then her gaze flickered up to him, “How has the football team being treating you?”

Reggie thought about it and even though there hadn’t been any practices, he could admit that the team had treated him alright. They were less distrusting than they had been when Emerald first told him that he could join. They even let him write a few plays. Then there was the fact that he got to use the Serpent Gym which Sapphire had apparently gotten built when Fangs joined the wrestling team.

He was still trying to figure out how she had access to so much of her family funds despite not being eighteen.

“They been cool. Seems like they accept as an honorary serpent or something,” he filled replied as the two of them left bac out of the laundry room. She led them down the halls until they came across the game room they had been in the last time he was there. “It took me a minute to understand that just because the coach might accept non-serpent members to try out, that didn’t mean the Serpents accepted them.”

Emerald nodded her head. She sort of had expected that. Kind of. She was pretty sure that someone must have vouched for him to keep the other serpent members off his case.

“Hey, Meri. I have a question,” he inquired as they sat down, and she pass him a controller. She set up the system, so they could play Fortnight as she absently hummed.

“Wassup?”

“How does it feel to be a Serpent?”

She turned to him and rose a brow, “You looking to join?”

He laughed and shook his head, “No, I don’t think being a Serpent is meant for me. I just wanna know because… because it just seems like there’s this darkness inside of me and I don’t know what to do.”

Emerald froze as she looked at him. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She tried to reach out. All the Kingpin members had learned how to read auras after Byrdie’s niece had taken an interest and the woman in question decided to teach everyone else.

But the darkness of a Serpent was different and unique. Especially one of the Kingpin members. The darkness wasn’t really an aura but was close on the plane. They were all spiritual and things that they probably shouldn’t mess with. But once they had started to reach out, they couldn’t shake them loose. Even Sapphire who suffered from Dissociative Identity Disorder regrets it. It was as if darkness had juiced Phire up and gave her power. Sapphire had even more harder time controlling that side of her and maintaining the control of her body and mind. Even then she has problems since Phire had became a more prominent part of her and leaks over into her true identity.

_Sometimes Emerald thinks that Sapphire doesn’t even know who she was._

Emerald focused and felt something surrounding Reggie. It wasn’t anything like what she usually felt from Serpents or hell even the Ghoulies she read. It was more of a kindred spirit. Something close to Sweet Pea and Fangs, but nicer. It was strangely submissive to the Princess part of her, but also acknowledged her as an equal.

It felt like a leader.

She blinked and tilted her head at him. She wondered?

“When did you start feeling like this? Who do you feel like this around?”

Reggie turned his gaze from her and back to the screen. He absently set himself up as she split her attention between him and the game. He cleared his throat before speaking.

“It was when you got taken…”

He trailed off as his mind replayed that day over in his head.

_(Something that promised revenge and pain and death. Something pure and undeniably evil. Something tainted by forces darker than anything ever imagined._

_As the evilness warped around him like a coat, he swore he could hear a camera flashing, the sound of metal hitting flesh, a chilling laugh, a table breaking, the whirl of a motorcycle, the whoosh from a deposit. He could still feel himself being pulled out, but this time it felt like the tension around him was seeping into his skin._

_He felt whoever was pulling him slow down and though it didn’t seem possible, it seemed to grow even gloomier around him. He felt as if he was choking on this feeling, but it wouldn’t let up. It was like it continuously to grow like bacteria or fungi. His head hurt, and he crumpled to the ground._

_He felt hands grabbing him from left to right until he was being carried by multiple people. He felt vibrations in the air, but he couldn’t hear. Not with this power pressing down on him.)_

“I had told the others. Jones and your other friends. It was like one second, I was seeing the world clear as day and the next everything was gone. I couldn’t feel anything. Like all of my senses just clicked off…”

He risked a glance at her and noticed the frown on her face. “What is it?”

Her gaze snapped towards him and a frown was on her face. “What did you hear? Did you hear anything?”

This time she paused the game before looking at him with pure concentration. What was happening to him? Was it bad?

“A camera flashing and someone laughing,” he said slowly watching as she slowly became pale. “At least, I think I did. I could’ve imagined it.”

She shook her head quickly and choked out the words, “No, you didn’t imagine it. Look, what you experience was a black out. I know you’ve felt the tension that rolls out of us sometimes. Like back when you all first came to the school and Saph had got into a fight with Reece that day. Well… it looks like that tension has seeped into you. Its not dangerous or anything. Well its not, if you don’t use as something dangerous. Yours seems more passive. Where you like a school leader or something?”

Reggie sat quietly taking it all in. “I was Captain of the Riverdale High’s Junior Varsity football team and Wrestling Captain.”

Emerald nodded, “That’s all it is. Its something that will lie dormant within you. It won’t be the same for you as it is for us. How does it feel?”

“I don’t know how to explain it. But you’re right. It doesn’t feel dangerous. Just makes me feel like I need to be better. As if I have people depending on me.”

Emerald gave him a slight smile, “Your loyalty is to the other Northsiders. I think it recognizes you as some kind of leader and them as your followers. You see the Kingpin? All of us are the teenage leaders of the Serpents. Technically, we all kind of the heirs. All the other Serpents. They’re ours. Our people. Our family. We must be better to take care of them. Its why we go so hard about everything. We got people depending on our success. And not even just the Serpents. The Southside as a whole. We got so many plans to fix the Southside up. To make us as good it as good as the Northside. To make it _better_.”

She shook her before looking back at him, “I think the darkness is recognizing you as some type of leader for the Northsiders. And its probably seeping out of you and into your friends…”

She thought about those implications. He was clearly close with Veronica and their group of friends. She remembered the mayor’s daughter. And Cheryl Blossom. Betty Cooper. The red head boy that Jughead was friends with and the homosexual boy that Joaquin had been taking an interest in (and been trying to keep a secret from them).

She wasn’t worried per say, but if the Northsiders’ aura swept over the school then they’d be considered an actual gang. The Ghoulies would take offense and a war spring up between the two. And with Emerald obvious affiliation with Reggie, then the Ghoulies would more than likely target the Serpents. Then there was the football’s team appreciation for Reggie.

_Well shit._


	12. |eleven|

Emerald did _not_ plan for her weekend to go this way. Honestly, she had plans to talk to Sapphire and clear the air between them. Look for potential recruits to add to the cheer team. Yet, somehow, someway, she was currently ducking behind a car in the middle of a shootout. She loaded some more bullets into her gun and took the time to look for her friends. Fangs and Sweet Pea were up ahead of her shooting from behind a truck while Toni was shooting from inside a car to the left of her. And Sapphire, oh so brave and stupid and reckless Sapphire, was standing on top of a jeep in front of them shooting with a machine gun.

Despite their unforgiving nature and the fact that some of them have killed before, they weren’t aiming for kill spots. Liable to be injured for months on end or seriously disabled? Yeah, that was much better.

Emerald couldn’t help but to feel grateful though. It was because of her that they were doing this. If she had never gotten so close to Reggie and let her darkness consume him, this wouldn’t be a problem. She and the rest of the Kingpin and half of Sapphire’s den wouldn’t be distracting the Ghoulies while Jughead, Joaquin, and the other half got the Northsiders back to their side of town.

 A loud scream emerged through the air. Emerald’s head snapped up and she saw Sapphire falling to the ground clutching at her stomach. The tension in the air turned darker.

And then Emerald was no more.

Meri didn’t have some stupid tension with her gem sister. Meri was the manipulator of the Kingpin. She played people like chess people and she knew in her soul that her sister had a very good reason for murdering Philip Willis. It was just like she knew her sister was right in killing the Willis siblings.

That was why she pushed her way forward and shoved Emerald back. There was no time to be the kindhearted soul that she usually was. She needed to be tougher and braver with a heart of iron. She shook off her tension and relaxed.

Meri needed to create an opening so that Sweet Pea could get to his girlfriend. She cast a critical eye around their surroundings. She could see Nathan trying to make his way to his den leader out of her peripheral. She could feel the seething anger from Sweet Pea even from the distance she was at.

Her phone dinged with a message from Paz. She opened it quickly and it was a google maps street view of the area surrounding them. Another message pinged, and she got schematics of the buildings lingering. Meri grinned when she noticed that she was the closest to an accurate shot at the old gas pipeline. If she got it right (and she would. Her math was immaculate), then the bullet would bounce off the panel and fly towards the pipeline creating an explosion which would of course give them the perfect diversion to get Saph out of the line of fire and let them create an escape.

Meri took a deep breath before lining the shot just like it needed to be. A second passed and she squeezed the trigger. She watched as the bullet soared towards the panel before bouncing off it just like she knew it would. She watched it head towards the pipeline before finally colliding. The chain reaction was immediate and within seconds Sweet Pea was rushing for Sapphire.

Meri and the others shot off rounds in the chaos by the Ghoulies while Sweet Pea cradled Sapphire oh so gently and rushed her towards Fangs’ car that was further down the road. They all shot a few more times before they were taking off running behind the couple.

Meri was pushed down and Emerald relished in being in her right mind again.

She slid into the passenger seat of Fangs’ car hearing the whimpering from Sapphire from her spot across Sweet Pea’s and Toni’s laps.

“Get us to the medic stat,” Sweet Pea growled.

Fuck, she hoped Saph pulled through for everybody’s sake.

\--

She did.

Barely.

The private physician for that Sapphire hired for the Serpents performed the surgery she needed. She had lost a lot of blood, and Saph just had to go on and show out how much special she was by being AB-.

She was still mad at Sapphire. She was still guilty by how she treated Sapphire after Toni told her why Sapphire killed Mr. Willis. But seeing one of her best friends… her sisters lying pale and so small, it made their argument seem so insignificant. It just made her wonder what Sapphire had been thinking when it was her lying on the bed.

Emerald couldn’t handle seeing Sapphire like that especially considering it was her fault. Sapphire wouldn’t have gotten shot if Emerald hadn’t overstepped her bounds. She was a Southsider. A serpent. They should have been the only ones she spent time with, but Reggie was so sweet and so different than the norm. She liked the freedom that she experienced when she was with him.

But Emerald would spend the rest of her days in her metaphorical bonds if it meant never seeing Sapphire like this again. Her fellow gem didn’t even have on ay makeup. Honestly, she looked like a fifteen-year-old for a change. And even that was a stretch. Bare faced Sapphire looked so much like a child that one would think Sweet Pea was cradle robbing.

Sweet Pea.

He and Joaquin and FP had been here everyday without fail. Each pleading for her to wake up. And as usual, Sapphire proved how stubborn she was by refusing.

Gods of Olympus, she missed her friend.

She missed the way that only people that really knew Sapphire knew how her eyes would light up with excitement with whatever she was passionate about. She missed the fierce determination she had whenever she wanted something done. She missed walking into the gym and seeing Sapphire teaching her den how to fight people or watching her at the shooting range in Stone Manor teaching them how to shoot. She missed how Sapphire would show up at cheer practices with refreshments and food and a fresh set of eyes to make sure they were perfect. How she took days out of her frankly incredibly busy schedule to hand wash their jerseys and uniforms. She poured money into the Southside community as if she was pouring water.

People could say whatever they liked out Sapphire, but no one can deny she cared so much about the Southside and its people. She was insanely protective over what she deemed hers. And that’s what makes it so hard for Emerald to come to terms with what Sapphire did. She knows Sapphire is defensive and overprotective, but she never thought that her friend would kill anyone in her name.

It was too much for her to process.

She settles into the chair by the hotheaded gem, taking her hand and rubbing her thumb across the back of it like she saw Joaquin do. She didn’t know the prayer he whispered, but she hoped the effect was the same.

“You know being mad at you is such a chore…” she breaks eye contact from her hands to stare at Sapphire’s face. “Half the time I don’t think it’s worth it but trying to _stay_ mad at you is just as hard.”

The words are spilling out of her mouth like water, boiling hot water. It hurts to confess to Sapphire when she can’t even hear it. She’s alone in this room with nothing, but her thoughts and shadows.

There’s no reaction on Saph’s face and Emerald wished for a moment that there was, that for some miracle Sapphire woke up for her. Just for her in this silent room and loud thoughts, that she would wake up and the two of them could finally talk and clear the air. She missed her best friend with the fierceness of a lion even when Sapphire was _right there_.

There’s a dull pain in her chest that hasn’t disappeared since watching Sapphire drop down on the jeep weeks prior. That whatever she wanted to say to Sapphire at the time she could have come clean with her feelings and she wouldn't be left in this gruesome waiting game of ‘can I forgive her or not.’

The back of her head says she already knows the answer. She lost her chance and should have made a stance weeks ago then maybe things could have been different. She buries her face into Sapphire’s arm. She drinks up the contact. She hasn’t been this close to Sapphire since the night she woke up in the Manor under all her guilt gifts.

“You make things too difficult, but you’re...you’ve taken up my thoughts and I _hate_ it.” She laughs. “God Saph, I hate you so much.” A lie.

“Did you know that anytime I saw someone with a bold blue lipstick and clicking heels I would think it was you? I know, you’re a trendsetter and many girls at school kill to copy your style. But you’re my sister and it’s just hard to not to be able to turn around and see you looking so impassive to anyone that didn’t know you.”

There’s a faint sound of crickets that reaches Emerald’s ears through the window, she’ll have to close it when she leaves, who knows how many nasty bugs will crawl their way into the building that way.

“You’re probably ignoring me even in your sleep Saph...but I guess it’s better to say it now then never, I-I forgive you. I’ve forgiven you since the day Jazz Towers mentioned my kidnapping and you spent the rest of first period wiping the floor with her while the others were pulling me out of a flashback.”

Emerald choked back a sob, “For fuck’s sake, wake up. I miss you.”

Finally, she closes his eyes and for once in the past few weeks she falls asleep quickly.

 --

Sleeping in the chair in Sapphire’s room has to be one of her worst ideas. There’s an awful crick in her neck and a dull ache in her back now. It probably won’t go away until she goes to sleep again in the cold comfort of her bed. Emerald’s eyes flutter open and she’s met with the harsh light of the morning sun. Without thinking her arm is already up and covering her face. She hopes that she’s not late for her patrol of the Serpent territory to keep the war with the Ghoulies’ in control. It’s one thing at school where they were all feared and couldn’t be properly contained, but it was different on the streets where all battles could probably be the _final_ one.

She never did close the window either. She prays no spiders made their way into the room during the night, because if they did Saph is on her own.

“You know…you’re the last person I expected to see when I woke up.”

The voice jerks her out of his tranquil peace so fast that the chair tilts and Emerald finds herself screaming. The chair is gone it makes a loud sound as it hits the floor and slides to hit the room wall. Emerald feels like she just finished getting body slammed by Hog Eye when they’re practicing hand-to-hand combat. The pain in her back and head only becomes worse.

“Shit, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Saph’s voice is gruffy from the lack of use and more than likely dry as well.

The princess wants to cry. The universe is out for her, time and time again she’s being shoved with series of happy unfortunate situations with Sapphire. She takes a moment to think, to think what to say, to think of her next moves, but everything comes up blank.

Maybe once she gets a good look at Sapphire she’ll be able to. Possibly think of a concrete thought.  Finally she opens her eyes and looks around. Sapphire is leaning over the small railing of her bed that Grammy Sweets and Nana Fangs demanded to be installed, worry filters her face as she prepares to say something else to Emerald.

Nope. If anything, it completely whips the brunet’s mind of any coherent thought. Like a fish out of water she stutters as she opens and closes her mouth repeatedly.

“Are you okay?” Sapphire says, and she looks so worried for Emerald you could think that past few weeks of unforgiven tension between them never happened.

“Y-yeah. I’m fine, I just--I didn’t think you’d be up, I’ve--everyone’s been worried.” The cheer captain finally finds her voice and she’s a stuttering mess, Sapphire looks like she’s about to laugh her ass off with how Emerald is reacting. A slight twitch to her lips like she’s holding it back.

“You sure? You hit your head pretty hard, it sounds like it hurt.” The raven-haired heiress coughs to cover up the laugh that’s bubbling to the surface.

The best thing to do is always embarrass yourself in front of the person that you need to beg forgiveness from, nice one Emmy.

“It did but sleeping in that chair has probably been the worst thing in my life too.” Good a normal conversation, she sounds normal. Maybe. She thinks she might be pitching her voice and running out of breath a lot faster than usual. This is normal, yes of course.

“You sure you okay Wayne?” The way her name rolls off Saph’s tongue is like music to her ears, she springs up so fast her back cracks and she sees the way Sapphire cringes at the sound.

(It didn’t escape her notice that Sapphire called her by her last name. An occurrence so rare its damn near a myth. It just goes to show how far they’ve strayed and how hurt Sapphire was by her actions no matter how justified.)

“Better than ever, thanks for asking.” It’s rushed out so quickly she can see Saph didn’t understand a word she just said.

“Uh…okay...sure,” She gives Emerald a quick one over just to make sure and settles back into her bed. Emerald could feel Meri pulsing in the back of her mind and reaching for Phire. Emerald knew intellectually that she and Meri were the same person, but it was mainly easier to think of that darker side of her as a different person. It also made Sapphire feel better and that nothing was wrong with her despite being diagnosed with such a mental illness. She could see Sapphire’s unease when she saw the IV dripping with the medicine to keep Phire under control and stabilized.

Slowly Emerald pushes herself up and places both of her hands on the edge of the mattress, leaning her weight into it. “But really, I’m happy to see you awake, you’ve...been asleep for a long time.”

Sapphire blinks and looks up at her confused, “How long?”

“If you slept another week it would have been a month.”

“It’s been that long?”

Emerald nods not looking away from Sapphire, drinking in the sight of the other and their small actions. The way Saph nose scrunches up in thought and the slight pout to her lips. The self-loathing and anger and regret in her eyes for making them wait so long for her to awaken for something as stupid as a bullet wound. She should’ve been more careful. She shouldn’t have let Phire have so much control.

Honestly, if Sapphire was so injured, Emerald would slap the shit out of her to keep those thoughts away.

“Yeah, in that time the Ghoulies have gotten a little more brave though it hasn’t been long, I’ve been training the Northies too.” Sapphire freezes and looks like she wasn’t prepared for Emerald to say that. She could basically see Sapphire’s walls come down. She knew what the other princess thought she was going to say. And while it was a true though, she knew how much Sapphire hated being compared to the Northsiders even though she dressed like them and talked like them and apparently fought like them though she was definitely more vicious. “They’re alright, they have this your dramatic flair I’m trying to get rid of.” Emerald smiles and tilts his head to the side. _A dramatic flare just like you._

It appears to be the right answer as Sapphire relaxes and smiles up to Emerald, “Bet they’re nowhere near the level of my den.”

She was absolutely right. Sapphire’s den was a reflection of her and she took great pride in them. The Northsiders wouldn’t stand a chance. Hell, if it were for Emerald’s princess status in the Serpents and being a part of the Kingpin, she was sure that the Saph’s den would’ve tore her to pieces for getting her hurt. She knew that they wanted to demolish the Northsiders especially Reggie, but the war with the Ghoulies took precedence. And they were under strict orders from Sweet Pea to not touch them as he took over the den in his girlfriend’s absence.

“Where’s Sweet Pea,” ah Emerald knew it wouldn’t have been long before Sapphire asked for him.

 “He’s been busy with your den; do you want me to find him?” Her voice betrays her, she doesn’t want to leave the other yet. For once in a long time she’s has her sole attention with no one else to get in their way. She wants to take this in, enjoy it for what she can before this is ripped away from her too. Before the two of them have to have the conversation to clear the air between them and Emerald can properly apologize again.

“It’s fine, I’m sure he’ll just know and be here when he can, he’s a complete mother hen.” Sapphire smiles, holding back a laugh.

A part of Emerald wondered why Sapphire was so calm and expressive with her after the weeks of anger and tension between them. Even when they had to present the arc reactor that Sapphire somehow managed to pull off and create for their class project and had the rest of them recite the schematics and how it was built and how the different elements reacted to the power core, there was tension between them. She remembered thinking to herself that some of the elements she was using for the project was rare and did she pay hush money and who she killed just to get it.

Yet here Sapphire is acting as if none of that had happened.

Emerald does too, snorting and placing her hands on her hips. “You’re not wrong. Do you want me to call anybody else in?”

Sapphire stops smiling and thinking for a moment, eyes furrowing in thought. Emerald heart stops and her mind goes into overdrive. Maybe she really didn’t expect to see her and hoped for someone else. Maybe she was just being polite and courteous. But the look in Sapphires eyes were genuine and the smiles she was gracing the room were pure.

“No? I actually wanted to talk to you, since you know we never got to since I ended up getting shot and everything.”

Emerald stops functioning, and she thinks she’ll just prefer to make a break for it. The brunet didn’t think that the other would bring up the topic so quickly.

 _I’m sure when she wakes up she’ll want to speak with you._ Thanks FP.

“Oh...yeah that,” she responds lamely, scratching the back of her head.

“I know we kinda left each other on...a bad note, but I do-” Sapphire can’t seem the right words as she turns her head to look away from Emerald. It hits her like a ton of bricks. It was a well-known fact that despite how caring Sapphire was, she was absolutely shitty at comforting people and expressing her feelings and apologizing. She had been working on it because she hadn’t wanted it to seem like she was some manipulative bitch that got all her problems swept under a rug because she didn’t know how to be empathetic.

It also kept her and Sweet Pea from breaking up every other week.

The brunet decides to save her the trouble, “Hey it’s okay, I was a jerk and you had every right to be one back it’s fine, I’m sorry.”

But Sapphire shook her head, “No, I have to apologize for the stuff with the Willis’. I should’ve told you from the beginning starting with running them out of town. I didn’t expect to care for you as deeply as I do. I didn’t think I would see you as a sister. At the beginning, you were just another girl. Basically, an insurance. Another equal for Toni whenever I had to leave on business. I never supposed to have let you get close enough to have the power to hurt me…”

“…But the night that Candace put those dead snakes around you and I found out Philip was trying to take you in. I knew I had to do something. FP had said that he would handle it, but I just couldn’t wait. Something need to be done soon and fast, so I had manipulated my way around everything and took control of their reigns of life. I just knew I had to protect you no matter the cost…”

“… And Emerald, I am so, so, so sorry that you got hurt because of my careless. And even then, hurt doesn’t even fully cover it, but I don’t regret it. I’d do it a thousand times again if it means keeping you out that creep’s hand and hell if I could, I would’ve gotten rid of the twins at the time while I was at it.”

Emerald knew there were tears streaming down her face. Even without the makeup and still being so pale, the intensity of determination and stubbornness and protectiveness in Sapphires eyes made her look like so normal. Made her look like the Serpent Princess that she was.

Emerald stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Sapphire, “I forgave you a long time ago.”

Honestly, it was one of the best mornings Emerald had in a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the random hiatus. I just had lost the inspiration and love I held for this story. but its being coming back now. let me know how you feel about this chapter down below.


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